Living with My Sonshine
by MusicChannySkyscraper
Summary: Sequel to Rooming with CDC. Follow Sonny and Chad on the second part of the story, as they meet the challenges involved in jealousy, marriage, family, and fame. Will they stay together through all the drama? T for safety.
1. Life Changing Moments

**It's here! Whoo! Heya guys. I'm so happy to have this up so quick. So you guys know, I might take a little while updating, uh, all my stories now, really because I have so many up now. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting though, so here it is! **

**And so you know, I just felt like putting in the first bit to make this chapter longer and show you how Chad feels about it all...K? Read on to see what I mean...**

**Chapter 1-Life Changing Moments**

Chad's POV

Wow. My life in the last 18 months has been crazy. But I've loved it. Allow me to explain…

25th June was my first ever date with Sonny, even though it failed a little. Then 26th was our second first date, which was a whole lot better…

July the 18th was a crazy day-Sonny's first year at So Random, the day when she had all those problems. I so wish I'd been there for her more on that day, but she trusted me afterwards, so I'm fine.

October 1st-the day Sonny Munroe met Chaz Milton Looper. The day that almost broke our relationship. I'm so lucky that Sonny forgave me though on the second, the day I'll never forget…writing this I realise she's had to give me quite a few second chances, as you will see more of soon…

24th November-The day I got fired. I really didn't expect that, and I wish Sonny had been there to help me. Oh well, I guess I'm still a little grateful for Grady being there…don't tell him I said that though…

11th December-the day I guest-starred on So Random. That, I hate to admit, was fun. Hey, So Random got a few more fans afterwards, and so did Mackenzie Falls, so yeah. Bonus.

Then, there's 3rd January-the day me and Sonny broke up. I hated that day, more than anything. I still can't believe I did that to Sonny, and I'm amazed she's forgiven me after all this time.

Then, 3 days later, 6th of January-the day we met Mel, and the day she wrote that song. She played me her song, a little while back. I love it, and wish I could hear it more and more. I now know what I was missing that day, and why Sonny didn't want me to hear it. It was all about us, and she wasn't ready to tell me how she really felt anymore.

My Mom died on the 10th, and I hated it. It killed me inside, and I took it out on the Randoms. I hated myself for that. Once again-don't tell them. Except Sonny. I don't mind if you tell Sonny.

Then, July 6th came along-and Sonny moved in with me. Ever since then, my life has been crazy.

August 8th, after a whole month of craziness, Sonny got her own house once again. I bought her the house so she could stay near me. Little did I know how much I would really need it, because right now, I need her, more than ever. Confused? Well, I 'll explain…

It was a day ago, and we were all a happy family again. I guess anyway. I was at Sonny's, riding Capriccio, as she rode Sonshine next to me. It was the best date ever, we were having so much fun. Especially when Capriccio started going a little crazy. It made me look like the hero, though, so I'm happy for that. I almost fell to the floor in pain, and Sonny was so worried for me. See? She likes me again.

I remember going back inside the house, proud and a little shaken over my adventure, and Sonny kept telling me of how proud she was of me, being so brave. Hasn't she learnt not to compliment me or my ego goes up?

The phone suddenly rang. Sonny answered it in that bubbly way of hers.

"Hey, hey! It's Sonn-ay!" I laughed at her little comment, but she continued. "Oh, hey, Mr Cooper…yeah, Chad's here…you want him back now? …OK, I'll tell him. Bye."

"What is it?" I asked as she hung up.

"It was your Dad." She informed me, "He wants to talk to you about something."

"Oh, OK," I say, "I'd better go."

I kissed her softly on the cheek before leaving the room. I stopped in my tracks and asked her to come with, because it just meant I could see her more.

"How could I resist?" She asked, just making my ego grow larger, which she everyday says is impossible. I hope that's a compliment…

We arrive back home, where Abby sits in front of the TV, and I laugh. She's watching some weird little kiddie show, her favourite. What's the name again? Dunno, but she loves it. Aw, the innocence of youth.

"We're home!" I yell out, and Dad walks out of the kitchen, Melanie closely behind, both of them grinning hugely.

"Hey," I say, "What's going on?"

Melanie grins, getting into the story, telling it like she's a 16 year old.

"Well," She grins, "Um, your father and I were in a restaurant for our 6 month anniversary…" Sonny and I stifle a laugh. I'm sure they got that idea from mine and Sonny's relationship, but that's OK…

"He gave me this beautiful wrapped box, and there was the most beautiful…" I hold my breath, "…Photo in there." I sigh a sigh of relief. My father wouldn't…he just wouldn't…

"And, he told me the most romantic story…" I didn't think 40/50 year olds could be romantic. Guess so, or at least 40/50-year-old romantic.

"And, well, I don't know how to say this, but…"

I see Sonny grin next to me, holding me tight, her eyes focused on Melanie. I look to where she's looking, and my eyes open wide when I see what's on her finger…

"He proposed!"

My heart almost dropped at this, I know Josh's did anyway. He ran downstairs at the news, looking pretty angry.

"You did _what_?" He asks, before seeing the ring. He steps back, into me and Sonny, and looks like he's about to yell something rude.

"Why would you…"

"Yay! Congratulations!" Sonny yells, putting a hand over Josh's mouth. "Isn't this amazing, Chad?" She asks.

I sigh, "A little…"

Sonny laughs, elbowing me and causing my arm to ache, "Isn't he such a joker?"

"That hurt!" I whisper-yell into her ear and she gives me a look that says _stop it and help me_. I smile.

"Nice one, Dad." I say, "Can't _wait _for the wedding…which is when?"

"We don't know yet," He says, and I see Josh smile a little. I guess he thinks _yes! I have time to trash this wedding! _I might join you there, buddy. Sure, I _like_ Melanie, but Dad's moving pretty fast, right? I mean, I've known Sonny longer than he's known Melanie, but we're not married. Then again, we're only 18…

"We were wondering, Sonny, if you could help us." Melanie says, and Sonny grins.

"How can I help?"

"Well, Melanie was born at Wisconsin," Dad says, "All her family live there, she was hoping to have the wedding there. Do you know any great churches? You did live there 16 years, after all.

Sonny grins even wider, "I know just the place-St Ryan's Hope Church. My Mom and Dad got married there, any marriages that happen there are said to last forever." _Great. _"I mean, my parents didn't, but that doesn't mean it won't work out between you guys!"

"Sounds perfect." Melanie smiles. "We'll find some way to get one there! We'd love you to help set up the wedding, Sonny! And, maybe be a bridesmaid…"

Sonny gasps, "Me?" She asks, "A bridesmaid?"

"Of course!" Melanie grins, "You're so sweet, so helpful, we'd love it. You'd be one along with Abby here."

She tickles Abby, who grins. Of course, she doesn't understand what she's being signed up for, and I'm sure she wouldn't do it if she knew.

"Oh, and Chad, we'd love for you and Josh to get involved too!" Melanie adds, "Maybe best man for you…"

_Ha. _Fat chance. I'd rather be best man for Frankenstein. I try to put on a smile, use my number one forte-acting-to make them believe I can't wait. It goes so well, even Sonny believes I'm excited for it. I groan all the way through in my head though, something Josh does aloud.

Why did this have to happen?

**Did you like it? Just a little beginning-y thing.**

**Melanie and Chris are getting married! :O In Wisconsin! :O:O Near Sonny's house! :O:O:O **

**We get it now...so what do you think? Review pwetty please :3**


	2. Preparation

**Heya guys! So excited (kinda) for tomorrow! some of my friends want me to sing for them, so super nervous...should be fun...anyway, let's not focus on that...great reception! so here's a new chapter! :D**

**Chapter 2-Preparation**

Sonny's POV

I'm so excited!

Chris and Melanie are getting married where my parents got married-and they're making me a bridesmaid! I've never been a bridesmaid! I seriously can't wait, although I have this feeling Chad isn't too impressed. Well, of course he wouldn't be. At first he wasn't too crazy about his Dad having a girlfriend so early after what happened to his mother. I guess maybe he'll warm up to the idea, just like he warmed up to everything else. He's 18 now, he needs to know that change is good.

I'm now sat at Chad's computer, surfing the web for ideas for Melanie's dress, while she calls St Ryan's to ask how everything will work out. I watch Chad lying on the sofa, watching Mackenzie Falls, sighing every now and again. Josh is lying on the other couch, doing exactly the same. Heck, if synchronised sighing was a sport, they'd get the gold (Haha-haha! ...I'm done…)

"Come on, guys," I sigh, "At least _pretend _you're excited."

"Oh, great idea, Sonny," Chad says, "We might as well _pretend _to _love_ something we _believe_ in."

"Don't you use that tone with me!" I say, eyes wide, and he sighs once again.

"Why did this have to happen?" He asks, and I wonder why, as an adult, he needs to ask this question.

"Well, people fall in love all the time." I say as he rolls his eyes. "And sometimes, they fall out of love, so don't push your luck, Mister."

He cringes, "Sorry, _ma'am_."

Another glare.

"Sorry." He whimpers, "CDC came out there."

"Ah, I've missed CDC." I say dreamily.

"Really?"

"No."

He glares, groans, before turning back to the TV. He knows I'm just joking with him though…I hope.

At that moment, Melanie strides in through the kitchen door, grinning, almost squealing. Sometimes it's hard to believe she's 43, and not just look-wise.

"They've accepted us!" She smiles. Ah, if only her new family could too. "The date is gonna be the fourth of January. Two months away! I'm so excited!"

"Two months?" Chad asks, "A little close, don't you think?"

I glare at him once again, as Melanie nods a little.

"Which is why we need to get to work!" She grins, "Sonny, whatcha got there? Any good ideas for dresses?"

I show her the Google Images site with the most beautiful dresses, and a website of the Wisconsin dressers that made my Mom's wedding dress, which she still has, still fresh and new and beautiful. It's lasted a whole 19 years, and I'm sure the way Mom takes care of it, it will last another 19 more.

"These are beautiful!" She smiles, "I'll have to get one from there! And we'll have to go back to Wisconsin to sort everything out…"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa." Chad says, getting up, finally sounding interested…or at the least concerned. "You're going to Wisconsin? And do we have to come? I have a job, remember?"

Melanie sighs. Obviously she's either used to, or bored of, Chad's little problem times. Her and me both.

"Don't worry, Chad," She says, "You can stay here with Abby and Josh. You're legally old enough to stay with them now, right?"

Chad sighs, "Well, I guess…"

"And I'll help." I chip in, "It'll be fine, Chad. Just like before, only I won't be around twenty-four/seven."

He shrugs, "Fine."

"Fine." I couldn't resist.

He smirks at me, joining in with the game, "Good."

"Good." I finish, looking into his smiling eyes, getting lost once again.

"Hey," Josh says, "Lovebirds. If you're done with the little love-fest, can the babysitters get me a sammich?"

I laugh-for 3 reasons. One-sammich. I've heard that from a certain Dylan Cooper before. Two-Josh's smartness at noticing our love. Although Tawni says a blind man could see that me and Chad loved each other, but let's not get into that. And then three…

"I thought you were thirteen now, Josh," I say, changing my voice to a baby-ish voice, "You don't need a babysitter, do you?"

He scoffs, "Of course not!" He laughs a little, but we all know that even though he's over his arsonist days, he still needs his family's support. Everyone does. Hold up…did I jump imply that I was his family?

"You'll be fine." Chris says, walking out of the kitchen, before turning to Melanie. "Let's go."

"Whoa!" Chad says, following them, "You're going now?"

"No." Chris says, "We're just going for a little engagement party with a few friends. We'll be back soon."

Chad sighs and scowls, watching his Dad leave. I feel the awkward air and decide I should really leave to avoid saying anything I might regret.

"Bye." Chad says at the last minute, and I smile.

"Bye, Chad." I say, "I'll see you later."

**:) See you laters xxx plz Review :)**


	3. Knowing You

**Filler cahpter alert! I'm sorry, but this one's pretty much rambling from Sonny. Not too much though, coz there's something in there that's kinda sweet. See if u can spot it, just for fun. OK, let's read!**

**Chapter 3-Knowing You**

Sonny's POV

I understand Chad. He's not ready to move on, I can tell.

I thought he was doing well. He didn't cry or go all silent and shy when someone mentioned his Mom or anything. He didn't mind being around Melanie, and I thought he got used to her. Maybe I was wrong. Or maybe it's the fact that his Dad has moved on so quick. But then, love happens in many strange ways, I mean, look at me and Chad. We used to be enemies, we ended up dating. We broke up and I thought we'd never date again. 6 months later, he's saved my life and we're back together.

I understand why he feels this way though. His Mom was amazing. She was so kind, so funny, so understanding, and she loved her son. She loved all her kids. I think Chad was so attached to her, everything he and others told me about their relationship was special. A mother/son bond like no other. No wonder he was a real momma's boy.

I remember first meeting Chad's Mom. It was after we got together the second time, after the incident with Chaz. I walked into the house, it was Chad's little flat (I say little, it's huge). He had his family over to meet me, and the first person I saw was Chad's Mom. She grinned at me, straight away.

"Oh, hello!" She smiled, offering me a hand to shake, and I immediately saw where Chad got his hair and eyes from. Thank you, Chad's Mom's genes. "You're Sonny, right?"

I nodded, smiling my so-called famous Sonny-smile. "That's me."

"It's so nice to meet you!" She grinned, "Chad's told me so much about you. He was right-you are so beautiful!"

I blushed at this, and I'm sure Chad did too.

"Mo-om!" He groaned, and she laughed.

"Well, come on in!" She laughed, ushering me in with a welcoming smile. I remember the party-if you can call it that. Abby hadn't yet been born, but I remember Claire (Chad's Mom) was 2 months pregnant.

"What are you gonna call the baby?" I had asked, and she said she had no idea. "How about…Aaron for a boy?"

She smiled, "Aaron Dylan Cooper…I like it! And for a girl?"

I thought a little, before smiling, "Abby."

So, now you know where Abby's name comes from. Chad always reminds me of that, and I love it.

"You'll be a brilliant mother, Sonny." Claire had told me, glaring faintly at Chad, "Just don't become one too quick…"

Mom!" Chad yelled, hugging me, and I laughed.

"Don't worry, Mrs Cooper," I said, "Chad's an amazing boyfriend. Plus I'm not gonna even think about getting married until I'm, like, 25. Maybe later."

She smiled and nodded, "Good."

I was surprised she was mentioning this to me, but I guess it was more aimed at Chad. I remember he was red-faced afterwards. He still looked cute though.

So I understand why Chad is so upset. It's gonna be hard-Melanie will be his new official step-mother. She's pretty cool, but obviously to Chad, his Mom is a million times better. Be a best man for this wedding? Uh, no. I think Chad would prefer to pull out his own tooth, without anaesthetic. I just hope I'm wrong there.

I call Chad later on, to see if he feels better, or if he wants to talk about anything. He says no, he's fine, I shouldn't bother. Chad language-Yes, I'm crushed; please please pretty please help me. How do I know? He sounds a little sarcastic, like he's trying to tell me he needs help, but he doesn't want to bring me down or get me in trouble. He doesn't understand-he couldn't do that. I could never be brought down by Chad, because I love him, more than anything, and I would listen to anything he told me. Problem is, I can't. Not if he won't tell me. I just want him to be happy, and if to do that, he has to learn to move on, then I will try and help. What are girlfriends and boyfriends for? Exactly. I'm going to help him move on, no matter how hard it is.

**See? Filler. I feel so upset when I let u guys down :'(**

**lol, anyways, plz review anyway :)**


	4. Money Troubles

**Heya! So, this is when the title of the story actually comes in and makes sense! lol ;) So read! read! READ! REEEAAAAD!**

**...Thank you :)**

**Chapter 4-Money Troubles**

Chad's POV

"Are you sure you're OK?" Sonny asks me, and I sigh. I love how caring she is, but sometimes…

"I'm fine." I repeat, "Don't worry about me, OK?"

I hear her sigh, "Fine."

I would continue the flirt-fight, but I'm not in the mood. I immediately feel bad after hanging up on Sonny, but turns out when my Dad walks in, red-faced and worried, that I have bigger problems.

"OK," Dad says, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief for the first time since Mom died. "…No, I understand. Thank you, Mr Mathews."

"Who was that?" I ask as he hangs up.

"Mr Mathews," He says, "Bank owner. Turns out we've got a bit of money problems."

I narrow my eyes in worry, "How much?"

He shrugs, "We have a pretty big problem. He thinks our account was robbed. It's gonna take a while to pay it all off…I don't know how we'll do it…"

For the first time in months, my care-free, newly engaged father looks worried. It almost scares me. But I'm eighteen now, I don't get scared…right? Of course not-I'm scared of a lot of things, I just hide them all, because that's what I'm supposed to be-the bad boy who doesn't care. I'm glad I met Sonny, because she lifted that reputation clean off my back. Never have I felt more free. Until, of course, Mom died.

"I don't know what to do…" Dad says, and I sigh. "We'll have to sell off something…"

I just don't get it. I'm the star of a number on TV show-_the _number one TV show (not being big-headed, it's kinda true. …Kinda…), so how is my family low on money, even though we've been robbed, how big were those pockets to fit it all in? I honestly don't know…

"Maybe we could find some way to pay back the debt?" I ask, but Dad laughs an empty laugh.

"I'm sorry, Chad. But how? Mr Mathews said it was huge, even the amount you make can't fix this."

Wow. Even the amount I make isn't enough? Gosh, that's one big debt…

Dad sighs, "We're not gonna have enough for the wedding…"

I sigh. At first, that was all I wanted, but to be honest, now I don't want it. Not of it costs all this.

"I'll help." I say, and Dad smiles a little.

"You will?"

"Sure," I say, "As long as you get me a new car."

He laughs, "You'd be lucky to get a used car with the money we've got."

"It's OK," I say, "I have enough cars. It'll be free…"

"If?"

I laugh, "If…up until the wedding, you don't talk to me about it at all."

He sighs, "Fine."

I don't start Sonny and my fight-that would be weird…

"So, what will we do?" Melanie asks in our family meeting later on. We've never had a family meeting before, not that I really wanted one anyway. But I guess we have to do family things if we're a family now.

"We'll need to find some way to either find who robbed our account…" Dad says, "Or we'll have to sell the house. Or find some other way."

"Well, we can't sell the house." I say (obviously we can't), "Where will we live?"

Dad sighs, "You're obviously right there." He says, "We need some way to pay it back then…any ideas?"

I shrug, "I suppose my work funds can go towards it." No matter how much I don't much like being part of this family anymore, they…_we, _need all the help we can get.

"I have an idea, too." Melanie smiles, "When I lived in Wisconsin, we used our house as a B&B **(A/N: You have those in US, right?) **for a while. We could do that…"

"But then…we'd have to serve old boring travelling people." I say, "Uh, no thanks." Really because the idea of serving random travelling strangers scares me. Who knows where they've been? Also…serve them? Uh, no. I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, I do not _serve._ Except in tennis. I rock at serving in tennis.

"Well, we can't afford this house anyway." Dad says, "Why don't we leave it?"

"Just abandon it?" I ask, annoyed that Dad wants to just dump my dream-and best ever-home.

"Well, just while we're in Wisconsin for the wedding…"

"What?" I say, getting up, "No, no, no, I can't go to Wisconsin for 2 months! I have a job here!"

Dad sighs, "Well…you'll have to stay here, take care of the kids. Just not in this house…find somewhere else for a while."

"Like where?" I ask, considering I sold my apartment because Sonny thought it would make us all more of a 'family'.

"Well…maybe you have a friend who you could stay with?" Dad asks, and I immediately smile.

"I think I know just the person…"

**:D and now we get it. If you don't, ur pretty ignorant... ;) or just not listening. i hope ur listening ;)**

**Listen now...review plz! :D**


	5. Begs and Pillow Fights

**Don't you just love chapters where nothing goes wrong? Of course you do. So here it is! :D**

**Chapter 5-Begs and Pillow Fights**

Sonny's POV

"You want _what_?" I almost yell at Chad, who's sat on my couch, with wishful eyes and a happy smile. He winces.

"I was hoping for a better reaction." He says, smile slightly fading.

"This is huge," I say, "You want me to find rooms for you, Josh and Abby, in my house, for a whole 2 months?"

"I took care of you in my house!" He argues, and I sigh.

"Only for a month."

He sighs, sitting closer to me. "Sonny, you always said you couldn't repay me for what I did. Now you can. So…please?"

I pretend to think about it. Of course the answer is yes, but never hurts to have fun…

"Only if you beg." I grin, and his face falls.

"Beg?" He asks, like he's never heard the word, and I laugh.

"It's this or making your precious house into a B&B for 'weird', as you put it, traveller people." I know he hates the idea of B&B's, even though that's Melanie's idea.

He sighs, "Please?"

…

"Pretty please?"

I stifle a laugh. "More than that…"

He laughs a little, turning on the charm, "Sonny…Sonny-bear…shortstack? _M'lady?_"

I shake my head, knowing I'm being cruel.

I suddenly jolt forward when I feel a pair of hands come under my arms, and I burst out laughing as Chad starts to tickle me.

"Chad! Stop!" I yell, but he resists, "Chad!"

"Only if you let us stay!" He chuckles, and I shove him off, but he continues. I start to get breathless.

"Okay!" I yell, "Okay!" He lets go, looking pretty proud of his efforts. Now he knows how to annoy me, or blackmail me. Not that he'd do that…

"I was gonna let you anyway…" I say, and he smirks.

"But that would've been no fun, now would it?" He asks, and I roll my eyes, flicking a pillow at him. "A pillow fight, huh?" He asks, and I smile.

"Bring it on!" I yell. I so miss pillow fights from when I was back in Wisconsin as a little kid, and I ace at them, every time..

A few seconds in Chad is down on the floor, begging for mercy.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! I give up!" He yells, and I stop. He gets up afterwards, and I let him up slowly, holding my pillow out just in case he's planning a surprise attack. He lifts his hands in the air in a signalling defeat, surrender, and I put down my pillow. He then grins at me.

"Gotcha!" He yells, tickling me harder than before, and I find it hard to keep in my outbursts of laughter.

"Stop! Please, Chad! You're hurting me!"

He lets go immediately, and I smile. "I'm so sorry, Sonny, you OK?"

I turn back to face him, grinning, before yelling, "Gotcha!"

I start to tickle him, but he runs off, and I follow him out into the pool area **(A/N: Yeah, she has a pool too. Chad got a lot for his Sonshine, am I right? lol) **He jumps straight into the pool, even though it's November, to escape my tickling hands.

His head goes under for a split second, before coming back up, shivering. I laugh at him, and he smirks a little.

"Your turn."

"Nope." I say, "You enjoy it on your own."

I turn back, only to feel something grab my leg. Chad pulls me in from the back, and I go under, coming back up and coughing up water.

"You jumped in to get me in here!" I yell, and he laughs as I shiver.

"I'm getting out." I say, but Chad pushes me back under.

"Not before me!" He laughs as my head bobs back up.

"What are you?" I ask, "Twelve?"

"Nope!" He laughs, jumping out, his jeans and collarless blue shirt soaked. I climb out and notice my flowery dress is wet too. My hair feels drab along my face, my neck, and I push it away, rubbing away water from my eyes. I chase him up the driveway, slipping a few times, before finally losing him.

"Chad?" I yell, worried as to where he's gone, before feeling a soft thing hit me, and I turn to see Chad holding a little pillow, grinning.

"Now I'm twelve." He smiles, throwing me a dripping wet pillow.

"Chad, what will my Mom say when she sees us?"

Too late. Mom drives up, and when she sees us her face goes slightly mad.

"Sonny?" She yells, "What are you doing with my good pillows? Why are you so wet?"

Chad looks at me, stifling a laugh, and I smile.

"Long story."

"Explain it later," She says, "While you're doing extra chores. Oh, and Chad?"

"Yeah?"

She sighs, "Go home."

"Will do, ma'am." He smiles, before turning at kissing my cheek, whispering, "So, can we stay?" in my ear.

"Yes." Is my simple reply, and he smiles, before heading up the driveway to his car.

"Bye, Ms Munroe!" He yells back, driving off, and I smile, my hand still resting where he kissed my cheek.

And that's why I love Chad.

**:D Nothing wrong.**

**But it won't last long.**

**Unless you review!**

**...Maybe... ;)**


	6. Packing

**:) Let's read!**

**Disclaimer: So, I dont own SWAC...or Teletubbies, or Nintendo. it's unfortunate for...two of those. one i'd be happy not to own. yes, i'm talking about SWAC. JOKES! I'm talking about Teletubbies. no offense to Teletubbies lovers everywhere...Imma shutup now :P**

**Chapter 6-Packing**

Chad's POV

The next few days go by like a blur.

Dad and Melanie are packing to go to Wisconsin, to get everything sorted, and I pack for moving in to live with my Sonshine.

I love Sonny. I love her for doing this for me…even though I kind of forced her to. Oh well, I'm still grateful.

I sit watching Abby play with her dolls while I pack her little clothes into a Teletubbies suitcase. Josh sits on his Nintendo DSi, and I sigh.

"Josh, don't you wanna help pack?"

"No." He groans, and I sigh.

"Don't you wanna go see Sonny?" I ask.

"It's not Sonny," He says, "That'll be cool…how come you got her a better house than you got us?"

I sigh. "She's my girlfriend."

"And you love her!" He laughs, making a kissy face, and I groan. He chuckles a little.

"So…why are you upset?" I ask, and he sighs.

"It's just…Dad and Melanie…"

I sigh, "I get it."

"It's just…everything's moving so fast between them." He says, "I don't want Dad to do this so quick…move on from Mom, get married so quick…"

"I know." I say, "I feel the same. But…maybe we should just trust Dad and his decision. Melanie's cool, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's alright." Josh says, looking into the kitchen where Melanie stands, hovering. Why she's doing so, I have no idea.

"Exactly." I smile, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

It's a good thing I'm an actor, because to be honest, I don't believe what I just told my poor little brother. I really need to stop lying. I don't think either of us really believe that Melanie and Dad are made for each other, but then, that's what I thought about Sonny and me, and now look at us. I sigh, sometimes the most unlikely things work out right, and maybe this will be one of them.

"Chad?" I hear a voice say, and turn to see Dad stood with his and Melanie's suitcases by his side. "Ready?"

"One sec…" I say, before heading up to my room and grabbing my box full of mine and Sonny's memories together. Yeah, I'm sad like that. But Sonny thinks it's sweet, so what the heck?

I run downstairs with the box in my hands, my suitcase trailing behind me. I smile.

"Ready."

We leave the house, locked, knowing that mail will pile up with no-one there, so I promise Dad I'll come and collect the mail every few days just in case there's something important. We drive off, a note on the door saying 'holiday', and I sigh. Goodbye, house. Yes, even Chad Dylan Cooper cares about things like houses and homes and all that sentimental stuff. All thanks to Sonny Munroe.

"Chad!"

Sonny flings her arms around me and I laugh.

"You missed me?"

"It's only been a day or so." She smiles, and I smirk.

"What's your point?"

She rolls her eyes and I laugh. She loves me really.

"Bye!" She waves to Melanie and Dad in the car as Josh gets the last suitcase out of the car and they drive off. "Can't wait for the wedding!"

"You and me both!" Melanie laughs as I roll my eyes, and Sonny smiles at Abby.

"Ready to see your room?"

Abby grins a happy grin, hugging Sonny, and I smile. Like I've said before, nice for Abby to have a good mother. I don't really know if I _want _Melanie to be Abby's mother. Surely, it would be better to just have my own Mom taking care of her?

I need to wake up though and realise-Mom's dead, and she's not coming back. I sure still love her, but she can't love me back, and it breaks my heart by I have to move on.

"Chad?"

I feel a hand rest on my shoulder and I smile. Sonny.

"You OK?"

I sigh, smiling a sad smile, "I'm fine. Thanks Sonny."

She smiles, "Good."

"Good." Couldn't resist that.

"Fine." She giggles along with Abby.

"Fine."

"Hey, lovebirds." Josh says, "I wanna see my room!"

He runs up the driveway to where Sonny's Mom stands in the door, and I laugh.

OK, so Abby has no proper Mom. I have no proper Mom. But I do have the next best thing…Sonny Munroe.

**:) Please review, if ur not mad at me after the Teletubbies thing :P ...or if you are mad at me. lol.**

**...Please? lol FORGIVE ME! :'( ;)**


	7. Moving In

**Is it weird that I'm stacking up all the nice moments in the first half of the story and then planning drama for the second half? No? Well, good :) Let's read/write for me! ;)**

**Oh, and I don't own SWAC, or Xbox, or Nintendo **

**Chapter 7-Moving In**

Sonny's POV

Abby toddles into the house, me carrying her little bag and one of Chad's, while Chad carries the other one of his and a few things like Abby's teddies. He seems to be struggling with it though, and when he unloads it, we find out why.

"The…Xbox?" Chad says, pulling out of it's bed of teddies, "Really, Josh? Really?"

Josh laughs, throwing down his suitcase of clothes, "You didn't think I was gonna put it in mine, did you?"

Chad huffs, "Lemme guess, the Nintendo Wii's in with my clothes?"

Josh rocks back and forth, "Rematch of that bowling?" Chad rolls his eyes, slumping his shoulders as Josh takes a Wii remote out of his suitcase, "Wii Sports Resort? It's a better version!"

Chad shrugs, "Fine."

"Fine." Josh laughs, hooking the Wii to the TV, and I laugh.

"Don't you wanna see your room first?" I ask.

"No." Is the simple reply, and Chad scowls.

"Josh, be nice." He says, and I smile.

"Chad, it's fine," I assure him, "We'll go see them later. In fact, you play with Josh, I'll show Abby her room."

"Oh, must I?" He moans like a little kid, and I smirk.

"Don't make me force you." I say in a _I'm-your-momma-so-get-over-it _voice, and he laughs.

"Yes, ma'am." He says, saluting before picking up a remote and wrestling with his brother over a 100 pinned or a 10 pinned game. Ah, my boyfriend, Chad Dylan Cooper, child at heart, female child in the bi-cep, tri-cep area (saying that, I'm sure even Abby could beat him in an arm wrestle. I'd so wanna see that!)

* * *

"And, here's your room!" I smile at Abby, uncovering her eyes, and she squeals with delight at the sight of her room.

Chad had the whole content of her room thrown into my house the other day, because she can't sleep anywhere but in her own room.

"It was a menace when we went on vacation," He explained, "We had to take her pillows and duvet just to make her think she was in her own room. Then we realised she was too tired to notice."

I'd laughed. I love Chad's family, who I guess are now kinda my family. Especially if someday, Chad proposes. I'd love to marry him…just not now. It's too close, too soon. We've only really known each other for over two years.

It's funny I'd mention that.

"Sonny?" Abby asks, getting into her bed, and I smile.

"Yes, baby girl?"

She smiles, "Will you and Chaddy get married when Daddy and Melanie do?"

I sigh, "Uh, no, sweetie. Sorry to disappoint you."

She frowns, "Oh. I thought it would be cool! You will get all dressed up by birds and mice, and then your Prince Carmine will come in his radio carriage and take you to your happily ever after."

I laugh, "I think you've been watching too much Christmas So Random."

She giggles, before her smile fades, "Will my real Mommy ever come back?"

I feel like crying. I don't know exactly what to tell her, I mean, how do you explain death to a three year old?

"Um…I don't know, sweetie," She says, "But trust me, whether she comes back or not, you'll always have your Daddy and Melanie. You'll have Josh too. You'll always have me, and your biggest brother, of course. Me and Chad will never leave your side."

She smiles, "I love Chad." She says.

"Chad loves you too, sweet pea." I say, hugging her softly. _And I love Chad too._

"And I love you, too." She smiles. That's when the tear falls. I so wish I had a little sister, if they're all like this. To hear this from a girl I haven't even known for 6 months is the most amazing feeling.

"I love you, too." I say a single tear rolling down my cheek, and Abby frowns.

"Sonny?" She asks, "Are you OK?"

I sniffle, "I'm fine, sweet pea." I say, "Just a little tired. Need some sleep…and so do you!"

I tickle her softly and she giggles, before snuggling up to her big tiger toy and closing her soft blue eyes, one curl of blonde hair falling down onto her face.

"She's quite something, right?" I hear a voice say behind me, and jump back to see Chad. I smile, putting a hand to my beating heart to tell it to slow down.

"She's amazing." I say, "She makes me wish I had a younger sister…I just can't wait to have a daughter just like her, some day."

"Me too, Sonshine." He says, putting an arm around my back, and I smile, wiping the tear from my eye, "…Me too."

**:) Isn't Abby so sweet? That was my aim...anyway, plz review! :)**


	8. You Changed Me

**Yay! Another bonding chapter! Don't worry, though, the drama will come as the wedding comes closer...**

**Once again, don't own SWAC. The Wii is also mentioned again, and I don't own that either...**

**Chapter 8-You Changed Me**

Chad's POV

"Sucka!" I laugh, bowling yet another strike. And Josh says I suck at this game.

I watch helplessly as Josh quits the game, and I scowl.

"Cheater!" I yell. He laughs.

"How about we see if I can beat you at basketball?" He says, and I shake my head.

"Uh…no." I say, "How do I know you won't cheat again?"

He shrugs, "You won't."

I laugh, "OK, then. You practice, I'll be there in a minute…"

"Where are you going?" He asks as I head to the stairs.

"Oh, I'm just going to check on your sister." I say, "But I'll be right back."

He smirks, "Don't trust Sonny alone with her?"

"Not funny, Josh." I say, running up the stairs to where a long hallway awaits me. But then, I've been here so much, I know where every room is.

I walk into Sonny's room, where a picture of us from our first date sits happily. Ah, young love. We were seventeen, I know that's only a year ago, but a lot can happen in a year. And it has. We've had some crazy times. About two or three break-ups, the fights, problems, but I wouldn't change a single thing.

We are perfect.

I hear Sonny's infectious laugh from across the hall, and I go over to see what's going on. I poke my head just through the door where I see my little sister in her bed, and Sonny sat at her side, smiling.

"I think you've been watching too much Christmas So Random." She says, and I try not to laugh. She has been obsessed with that episode over the last…year.

Abby smiles, before she stops and looks up at Sonny, blue eyes shining.

"Will my real Mommy ever come back?" She asks.

I suddenly feel tears block my sight. Abby doesn't understand. Mom can't come back. I mean, I've tried to explain death to her, but she's too young. And Dad was never gonna do it, was he?

It seems Sonny's handling it well though.

"Um, I don't know, sweetie," She says, stroking my little sister's blonde hair softly, "But trust me, whether she comes back or not, you'll always have your Daddy and Melanie. You'll have Josh too." Sadly, I doubt those. Maybe not Josh anymore, but still. Dad doesn't exactly have our backs. Sonny continues, "You'll always have me, and your big brother of course." I smile, "Me and Chad will never leave your side."

Now that's one I agree with. I wipe the tear from my eye and decide to stay strong for my little sister.

"I love Chad." Abby smiles, hugging a stuffed toy I gave her for her 2nd birthday, and I grin.

"Chad loves you too, sweet pea," Sonny says, smiling. She's got that one right.

"And I love you, too," Abby says, and I can't stop myself from beaming. Of course, everyone loves my Sonshine.

"I love you too." Sonny says, and I hear her sniff. I hope she's not crying…

"Sonny?" Abby frowns, "Are you OK?"

Sonny sniffs again, "I'm fine, sweet pea. I'm just tired, need some sleep…and so do you!"

She tickles Abby, who giggles sweetly, before hugging her big tiger and falling into a deep sleep. I walk in at this moment, up behind Sonny.

"She quite something, right?" I ask, and Sonny jumps, before seeing me and smiling.

"She's amazing." Sonny admits, "She makes me wish I has a younger sister…I just can't wait to have a daughter like her, some day."

I know what she's implying. And to be honest, I agree.

"Me too, Sonshine," I say, stroking her back, and she wipes a tear from her eye, "Me too."

Sonny sniffs again, and I hug her, "Are you sure you're OK?"

"It's just…what Abby said…I'm really sorry for her. And for you." She says, "No family should go through this."

I smile sadly, "But we do." I let her go from the hug, holding her in front of me, "But don't worry, OK? Because my life may be tough, but you make it better. And I mean that, Sonny. Don't you forget it. You pretty much saved my life back then – if you hadn't moved in…"

"Don't." She says, "You wouldn't have."

I smile, "And I didn't. OK? So don't worry about it. Everything's fine now – thanks to you."

She smiles, I just hope I'm not hugely putting pressure on her. Even though everything I'm saying is true. Who knows what would've happened to me if I hadn't found Sonny? I'd be what? A jerk? A pathetic excuse for a TV star who thought he was everything, when really, he was just a famous loser who happened to get girls coz he looked good and was famous.

And then what would I be if I hadn't got Sonny back? A loser once again, but this time I'd be a loser without a show. Maybe I'd be some sad-o who sits home all day. I'd be watching re-runs of myself on Mackenzie Falls, wishing I hadn't got so hung up over a girl that was never gonna take me back, coz then I'd have kept my job.

That's why I love reality. But why did my mother have to die to make this reality good?

"Sonny?" A voice comes from downstairs, "You home?"

Sonny smiles, "Mom."

We run down the stairs, smiling, and I try to keep my goody-two-shoes-boy act up. Sure, I'm a good enough guy, but I think Ms Munroe wants me to be the super kind guy, the complete opposite of what I was. That's why I keep up this act, and I think she buys it.

"Ms Munroe." I say, smiling, "Pleasure to see you again."

I kiss her hand and she laughs.

"Keep your hands to your own girlfriend, Cooper." She says.

"Will do, ma'am." I say, hugging Sonny, causing her to giggle.

"Blech!" A voice comes from the couch and we turn to see Josh, "I'm still here!" He goes up the stairs to his room, and we smile, watching him, before I turn back to Connie, who's holding a bunch of heavy stuff awkwardly. And the show goes on…

"Let me take those." I say, taking them off her, and she laughs.

"OK, Chad," She says, "I get it. You're trying to get on my good side, right?"

Sonny bursts out laughing, and I freeze. Wow, she's good!

"OK, you caught me," I say, handing the boxes back to her, but she refuses them.

"You wanna get on my good side?" She asks, and I nod, "You've still gotta take those upstairs for me."

I cringe, "All the way up?"

She nods.

Sonny laughs, "I'll help you."

She takes a box from me easily, and I gasp, my eyes open wide.

"What?" She asks.

"How can you do that easily but it almost breaks my arm?" I ask, and she laughs.

"Because you are a weak little Cooper." She smiles, and I follow her up the stairs, testing my guns the whole time. I'm not that weak…am I?

Well, when I'm with Sonny, I guess she does something to me.

That must be it…right?

**Haha, of course, Chad ;)**

**plz review :)**


	9. Weeks Pass Fast

**Heya guys. ALERT! A friend of mine has got a FanFiction account now, her name is (or is gonna be - she hasn't completely got in yet) Whoopie123. She has a pretty...uh, cool idea for a story so i'll tell you guys when it's out :)**

**So, yeah, let's read! :D**

**Chapter 9-Weeks Pass Fast**

Chad's POV

Week by week goes by. It's the best time of my life, or it would be, if it wasn't for the stupid fact that my Dad was getting married, and that day was getting closer and closer. And of course, I'm gonna be best man. Yay.

I'm not really up for the idea, (hence my sarcastic use of the word 'Yay') I hate the idea. I'd rather they didn't have a wedding at all. But I wasn't gonna turn down my own old man, especially on his special day, was I? I'm not that heartless.

And that doesn't mean I'm gonna enjoy it. The day's gonna suck. The only thing that makes it better is that Sonny's coming. It'll be where Sonny used to live, and Sonny's a big part of it too, a bridesmaid. Along with little Abby; she's gonna be so cute.

And so you know, that last bit about Abby was just adding to the act that I'm so excited about this whole stupid idea (don't get me wrong though – Abby _will _be the cutest there. In fact…make that second cutest, and no, I'm not referring to the blushing bride there.

The first week is so much fun. We spend the first couple of days chilling, getting used to the house, before Sonny suggests a barbeque.

"It's November!" I'd yelled, but nothing stops my Sonshine. Not even the threat of rain.

We had hot-dogs and burgers, that I was surprised when they really cooked well. Sonny's awesome at grilling – another reason she'll be a great wife someday. Not that I'd eat any of that high-fat stuff, but for the kids. Oh, those oh-so-cute kids we'll have, the girl, beautiful and sweet, with Sonny's big brown eyes and her beautiful natural hair colour (not that I don't like the newer brown she's dyed it – it's amazing), and the boy, just like me – awesome. I just hope that when he gets famous (and trust me – he will) he doesn't get too big-headed.

Somewhere in the middle of these thoughts, I ended up being pushed into the pool, before I looked up for the culprit. Of course – Sonny and Josh. Those little jokesters. Maybe Josh should become part of So Random…actually, scratch that idea.

Week one – success.

Week two was next, and it was Abby's birthday. So, with money me and Sonny had been saving up, we had a 'family' journey to the zoo closest to Hollywood. Abby loves animals, so we thought it would be fun.

And yes, we let Josh take his Nintendo DSi to keep him quiet…maybe that's where all my money went, all Josh's stuff…

Sonny and I seemed to have fun, for sure. We laughed at Abby's little penguin impression, then Sonny did her own. No way I did one though. Which is why Sonny bought me a hat saying 'I'm a little penguin'. Her little 'joke'. Haha, Sonny. I have a stomach ache from laughing so much. I still had fun, and so did Abby, especially when we bought her the big tiger. **(AN: Hannah Montana Forever related joke) **

Week two – success.

The next week was last week, and we decided, since December was nearing, that we'd go skiing. Ms Munroe was busy and Josh didn't want to come. He invited some friends round, and luckily, Sonny agreed they could stay. I'm just glad she did, I didn't want 12 and 13 year-olds throwing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at us. Or, 12/13 year olds? More like throwing their X-box controllers and/or soccer balls. Not good.

So we left Abby at a friend's, something tells me Josh wasn't gonna focus on his baby sister with friends round, and headed off. Despite slipping a few (OK, a lot of) times, I managed to get the hang of it. Sonny seemed to do even better though. She told me she'd been skiing since she was 5, probably because she lived so up-northish before. I've barely seen snow in the whole of my lifetime – and I'm eighteen. We still had a lot of fun, and got home to see the house not on fire.

Week three – success.

Then this week came along…

Where do I start? The wedding is one month away today, and everyone seems excited. Everyone _but _me.

Sonny's Mom took her and Abby shopping for their bridesmaid dresses, and Sonny promised to grab me something. I don't do tuxes – not with ties or things like that. Guess I'm gonna have to though.

Great.

The invitation came next, all in a pretty little lavender purple envelope with a pink bow around it. Huh, Melanie's turning my father girly. Those two words should never be seen together…ugh. Why do we even need an invitation anyway? It's not like we're gonna bail on them…although, I'm starting to think that might be the only option…

Then dinner comes along – Friday night.

"Give us a twirl!" Sonny laughs, and Abby stands on the table, twirling round in her little dress. Cute baby, stupid occasion.

"Aw!" Sonny laughs, "You're gonna be the cutest girl there!"

Abby giggles, before Sonny sits her back in her little seat, and she goes on eating her grapes. Why grapes I have no idea. **(A/N: Why Chad, because of a word pun to come up soon…)**

"A month away!" Sonny continues, "I'm so excited! Aren't you, Chad?"

I sigh, "I guess…"

"It'll be so much fun!" She squeals. This is when Sonny's sunny attitude gets on my nerves (which is not often), "You written your speech yet?"

I freeze, "…Speech?"

"Yeah, you're the best man, you gotta do a speech. It could start like…like…" She notices Abby's grapes and smiles, "…Hey people! It's _grape_ to see you here!"

Not a chuckle.

"C'mon, grape? OK, it's not that funny…"

"You must be so excited, Chad." Connie says, and I shrug.

"Well…"

"I bet this is really what your Mom wanted. Your Dad to be able to move on from her, be happy."

I scowl. Ms Munroe's made a big mistake there. My Mom wouldn't want this. I know she wouldn't. It's just lucky Josh isn't here, he would handle that sentence in a different way to the way I do…

I sigh, getting up, "Excuse me…"

"…Chad?"

I ignore Sonny's voice behind me, I just wanna get away from it all.

I know this one thing…Dad and Melanie have ruined it for me, _again_.

Sonny's POV

"…Chad?" I yell after him, but he won't turn back.

My frowns, "That was my fault, wasn't it?"

I shake my head, "Uh…maybe. Or mine. I'll go talk to him…"

**:O See? Drama. Well, kinda. more next time. if u review :)**

**Stay Strong xxx Demi**


	10. She Wouldn't Move On

**Heya, my friend has her account! YAY! We have a little idea for a combo story, I'll tell you more at the bottom. right now, READING TIME! :D**

**Chapter 10-She Wouldn't Move On**

Chad's POV

I head straight up to my room and pretty much slam myself on the bed, trying to stop myself from crying. I'm a guy – a man, pretty much. I don't cry. That stereotype is getting harder and harder to believe.

Why is my life so tough? People think I'm Chad Dylan Cooper – and I'm perfect. My life is perfect, according to the press and all people outside my real life. And I'm glad they don't know the truth. If they did, would I still have the reputation I do today? The cool guy? Uh…no. Not a chance. And I surely don't want to be seen as the messed-up celebrity – Mom wouldn't want that. As much as she wouldn't want Dad to move on so quick…

"Chad?"

Sonny's soft knuckles knock on the door, and I scowl. It's not that I suddenly hate Sonny now. I just don't like her attitude on this WHOLE wedding thing.

"C-can I come in?"

I ignore her question and toss over in my bed, looking at the wall away from the door. I hear her sigh, before walking over to the bed, sitting on the edge and putting a hand on my head, my hair. Before I would've said no-one touches the hair of CDC, even nowadays with all Sonny's done for me, I'd have flinched. But now, I don't have the energy.

"Chad, I'm sorry if me and Mom went overboard with the whole wedding thing, but we didn't want to upset you…I was hoping you'd have moved on, or at least now understood that your Dad has moved on…"

"Well, I haven't, OK?" I say, "Sorry to disappoint you."

She groans, "Chad, I'm not disappointed…"

"Really, Sonny?" I growl, "Really?"

She rolls her eyes, "Chad, didn't you think that maybe, just maybe, you're Mom would want your Dad to move on?"

I scowl, "She wouldn't."

"She _might_." She says, "She wouldn't want your Dad to just mope about her all day. Maybe she'd be cool with everything that's happening with Melanie. I know I would be…"

"You don't know my Mom like I did." I say, voice slightly cracking, and I have to choke back a sea of tears. Sonny frowns as I finally look around to see her. I see tears in her eyes, and feel a little bad for making Sonny almost cry.

"Just…think about it." She says, leaving the room, and I return to my bed.

Sonny's wrong, I know she is. My Mom loved my Dad; she wouldn't want him to move on, just like I didn't want Sonny to move on when we broke up.

She's wrong…she must be…

_I end up sleeping somehow, something I'm glad of. Sleep – one way to get away from the cruddy reality that is my life._

_I look around and I see I'm in my house, my real house, not this house I'm in with Sonny. I see, in the middle of the room, a couch, and on that couch is a woman, a blonde woman with blue eyes, sat with a man, and they're hugging, looking down at a little bundle of life in her arms. It's a baby boy, with a little curl of blonde hair. I walk closer and see he has cool blue eyes. He reaches up to the woman and straight away I see their connection. _

_I smile._

_It's times like this (and only times like this) when I wonder why I'm so afraid to show myself as a baby – I'm so cute. _

_I blink and it seems time has moved on. The little baby in his mother's arms is now six years old. I remember that day – the day I got an agent. The day I got the part in The Goody Gang. I had no idea why I was doing all of it – no idea that it got me money, got me fame. I do now. Ah, the innocence of youth. _

_The mother walks in and gives the little boy a hug, and I feel a twist in my stomach. I hate to say it, but I miss those hugs. Rose-scented and sweet. _

_One more blink, and more time has moved on. Another six years, and I'm twelve. My first audition for Mackenzie Falls. I did get the role, two years later, but this is the night I remember most of all those nights of auditioning, the first one. I remember my Mom telling me how proud she was of me, and around that time I still wasn't a big-head. That happened around the age of fifteen, when I really got popular. But right then, I was just a kid with a dream and an amazing mother. And a pretty damn good agent too. _

_There seems to be a trend, because the next one is about 5 or six years later. The day I heard Mom had died. It's me, stood in the middle of the living room. I'm on the phone to Dad, who was at hospital, just hoping she was gonna be OK. She wasn't. _

_I see the look on the younger me's face go dark, upset. He shakes his head, the phone dropping from his hand, before collapsing onto the couch, bursting out crying. _

_CDC never cries._

_But he did. _

"_You sure were upset, that day," I hear a voice say, and turn to see a 40 year old woman with blonde hair and blue eyes looking my way. She smiles at me, eyes calm, and my face suddenly lights up._

"…_Mom?"_

**:D You guys know what's going on? Chad's Mom's visiting his dream! Aw :)**

**Anyway, me and whoopee123, my friend from school, are thinking of writing a combo story. It's gonna be called Stars Lost At Sea, I think. I'll say more soon. I think it'll be on my profile, but if not, I'll tell you guys when it comes out.**

**Stay Strong xxx Demi**


	11. Mom's Gift

**YAY! NEW CHAPTER! LOL ;)**

**Chapter 11-Mom's Gift**

Chad's POV

_I blink. Once…twice…she's going nowhere. But this makes no sense…my Mom is in my dream? It must just be my head trying to mess with me…which is what everyone seems to want to be doing nowadays._

_But then I get a better look at her, and I smile. It really is my Mom. She's wearing the same navy-blue coat that she left in on the day she got in the car crash. Her blue eyes are kind and smiley, matching the look on her face. She grins at me, and I finally have it in me to speak to her._

"_I-Is that you?"_

_She nods slowly, "Yes, it is Chad." She says, that calming voice that I remember hearing as a child whenever I was upset or angry, "It's me, I promise."_

_Finally, a smile creeps onto my face. My Mom never broke promises, and I'm sure she wasn't going to start now._

_I know it'll sound weird when I tell you the next thing I did was hug her, straight away. But then, wouldn't you if your Mom had been presumed dead for almost a year and was now stood right in front of you? Yeah, I know this is a dream, but still._

"_Oh, sweetie," She laughs, "I missed you so much!"_

"_I missed you too, Mom." I say, trying not to cringe at the fact she just called me 'sweetie', "But remember, I'm eighteen now."_

_Mom's happy smile goes sad, and she nods. "I wish I'd been there for it."_

_My smile copies hers, "Same."_

"_But I got you a gift." She says, sparking up again, and I blink._

"_Uh…wha…?"_

_She laughs, "I did."_

_She looks over to where the dream-me was stood a minute ago, and now I see that it's the scene from my 18__th__ birthday. I'm there, and Abby, and Josh, and most importantly, Sonny, sat with a whole sea of presents, all for Chaddy. I remember that day well. It seems this dream is just replaying my most memorable days._

_I blink and it shows the day my house caught on fire. I see Sonny at the top of the stairs, and me run up to help her. I don't want to see more of this one._

_I blink again, and it's the day we got home from hospital. I smile, looking to see Sonny's cast on her arm, as Josh hugs her tight, apologising, and I pick up Abby and let her sign Sonny's cast._

_Mom interrupts the scenes, "Your present from me was in every one of those images." She says._

_I snort, "Uh…what?"_

_She laughs once more. How I miss that laugh. _

"_Sonny." She says. I gasp, looking from Sonny in the corner of the room back to Mom, then to Sonny, then Mom again._

"_You…" I have to think a little, "…Got me Sonny? That makes no sense."_

_She smiles, "Think about it."_

_I think. Nothing comes to me._

"_OK, I give up. Tell me."_

_She looks over to Sonny, "Up there, we have our ways of making things go right for people."_

_I'm shocked, "Your telling me that you brought Sonny to me? You set her house on fire, you made us fall in love again?"_

"_No," She says, "Well, yes and no. I didn't set fire to her house, but I gave you a little hand with the falling in love again bit."_

_My first reaction is 'how dare you, Mother! I want Sonny to love me for me!' but then I think of something._

"_So…Sonny's feelings…they're yours?"_

_She shakes her head, "Sonny really loves you. I just hope you can notice that through the hard times." She says._

"_Wait…there's worse to come?" I ask._

_Her smile goes sad, "Of what I know, you and Sonny will have one more problem to deal with. You need to be careful of that. Get around that problem and I'm sure you'll be with her forever."_

_I scoff, "Since when did you become a psychic?" Mom gives me 'the look', and I pout, "Sorry."_

_She laughs, "It's OK, sweetie. Aw, Chad, come here."_

_She notices the tears in my eyes, not for giving me 'the look', but for coming back. I smile, feeling comfort._

"_I miss your hugs, Mom." I say, "I miss you."_

"_And I miss you too." She says, "But remember, I will always be there for you. Just remember what I told you. And don't make me come back again."_

_I laugh, watching her walk away from me. She stops and turns back._

"_And Chad?"_

"_Yeah?"_

_She smiles, "Sonny's right. It's time to move on. I know you love me still, I love you too, but if Josh can do it, I'm sure you can."_

_I smile, "Thanks Mom._

"_You're welcome, sweetie."_

That's the last I see of her as I wake up, feeling somewhat refreshed, new, happy. I run downstairs and hug Sonny tight.

"Whoa!" She laughs, "What's up with you?"

"I just want to say…I'm sorry. You're right, it's time I moved on. And I'm ready."

She blinks, "You sure you're Chad?"

I laugh, "Positive. I love you."

She smiles, "I love you too."

_Thank you, Mom._

**Thank you, Chad's Mom ;) **

**But there's more to come! They're going to Wisconsin soon for the wedding! Any guesses as to what problem Sonny and Chad will have soon that Chad's Mom the physchic told us about?**

**Chad's Mom: (the look)**

**Me: (pouts) Sorry ;(**

**plz review**


	12. On The Road

**YAY! FILLER CHAPTER! LOL. Oh well, at least it's a fast update :)**

**Chapter 12-On The Road**

Sonny's POV

I don't think this is really Chad. Maybe it's Chaz. Well, that's kinda impossible, considering the state he was in a year or so ago. I heard he's still in his casts. Well, even if I think it's not Chaz, I know it's not Chad.

Unless he really has finally got used to the fact that it's time to move on.

And if he has, I'm proud of him.

The next few weeks fly by, and sooner or later, it gets to the week of the wedding.

We're all packed, ready to go.

Mom's coming too.

"I do love weddings," She said the other day, and Melanie straight away said it would be awesome if she came, so there we have it. Plus, I think Mom is really excited to see the family. I mean, she loves it in Hollywood, but it's my dream, not hers. It'll be nice for her to be home.

We carefully packed all the wedding gear, and clothes for the days before and after until we get home. I remember trying Chad's tux on him. He wasn't the happiest bunny, but he did look good.

"OK, you're turn." He'd said, and I laughed.

"The groom can't see the bride's dress until the big day," I said, "Its bad luck."

Chad had laughed too, "And someday that little prophecy will be important for us."

I just grinned.

The day comes, Monday, and we won't be back until next Wednesday. Should be fun, but I'm gonna miss this house a lot. Especially since Chad bought it for me…well, most of it. I love him for that.

Mom's gonna drive us to LAX to avoid any crazed fans following Chad's car, and Chad puts the suitcases into the back, still putting up the good boy act to make my Mom happy. We both know he's doing this, but he doesn't know that. What? He's my boyfriend, I can take advantage of him every now and again…

And my Mom? She just wants to make sure I'm gonna be safe with him.

We squeeze Abby in her safety child seat in between me and Josh, Mom sits in the driver's seat, and Chad, to his disappointment, has to sit next to my Mom in the passenger's seat. I think that was her plan.

"So…" I say from the back, surrounded with Abby's toys. Chad insisted it was fine, she'd need them to sleep. How we're gonna get these on the plane, I'll never know. Maybe Chad can ask a favour of his friends in Air Chad to take over our flight…

"Uh…everyone excited?"

Abby giggles and I take that as a yes.

"You're gonna look so pretty, Abby!" Chad smiles from the front, "You'll be the second prettiest girl there."

"Yeah," I say, "Melanie will look amazing."

"Melanie's not a girl." Chad says, and I blush. "Then again, neither are you. Eighteen – a woman."

"You'd bet!" I laugh, and Mom does too.

"Yeah, a woman who knows the dangers of the world."

I can feel Chad's tension and I blush harder at my Mom's little remark.

"Am I gonna be a woman soon?" Little Abby asks, and we all laugh.

"Sure!" I say, "You're our little lady right now."

She giggles, "I can't wait to be just like you, Sonny."

"Aw…" Chad smiles, "Sonny, you've got a mini-me!"

I laugh.

"I suppose it's better than before – I don't want her being like Tawni…" Chad shudders at the thought.

"So…who's your mini-me?" I ask Chad.

"…"

"DIE ZOMBIE! DIE!" Josh yells from next to Abby, giving us both a fright.

"I thought I told you no grown-up games!" I yell, and he shrugs.

Chad cringes, "…Not him."

"We're here!" Mom says happily, and we all jump out, smiling, looking a little out-of-place already dressed for Wisconsin.

"Oh, and Chad?" I ask him as he takes out some suitcases.

"Yeah?"

I sigh, "You sure you're OK with doing this?"

He smiles, putting an arm around me, "There's nothing I'd rather be doing."

I grin, realising he's not talking about the wedding.

**:):):) **

**And anyone like Josh's little outburst? Haven't heard much from him, have we? lol ;)**

**REVIEW :)**


	13. New Cousin

**And we have a new character! We have a few new characters on the way in Wisconsin, and this chapter shows the first of them. Hope you like it/her!**

**Chapter 13-New Cousin**

Chad's POV

"Can I have your autograph?"

I smile at a 16 year old girl on the flight, who's also in 1st class, and I'm happy we're not in anything lower. We'd be stampeded.

Sonny and I sign the paper with a smile and Sonny starts to get friendly with her.

"So, what's your name?"

The girl smiles, "My name's Sara." She says, her green eyes shining as she moves a ginger lock from her eyes and I smile. She's quite cute, but I still love Sonny. I hit myself for having an eye for another girl for a millisecond.

"Nice to meet you, Sara." Sonny says, "Where you heading?"

"Oh, my aunt's getting married," She says, "I'm going over to see her there."

I blink, "Your aunt?"

"Yeah," She smiles, "Her name's Melanie. She's getting married to some man… Chris I think his name is."

Sonny and my mouths open wide.

"Uh…Melanie?" Sonny asks, and Sara nods. Sonny grins, "I think we're going to the same wedding!"

Sara smiles. "Really?" We nod. "Which side are you related to?"

Sonny points to me, "Chris's son, right here."

Sara squeals, almost breaking my eardrums, "You mean…I'm gonna be Chad Dylan Cooper's cousin?"

Sonny nods.

"Yippee." I say, and Sonny elbows me, but Sara laughs.

"I get it, creeping you out a little, right?"

I nod, "Just a little."

"Ok," She says, "I'll stop. I'm not a crazed fan, so you know."

"Oh, cool," I say, "Then this cousin-hood isn't gonna be too hard."

She smiles, "Yeah. But I am a fan – I do like Mackenzie Falls…and So Random."

Sonny smiles, "Nice to hear. Well, it's great to meet you, Sara."

"Nice to meet you too." Sara says, shaking her hand, before seeing Abby waving at her shyly. "And who's this?"

"This is Abby," Sonny says, "Another one of your new cousins."

"Aw!" She squeals, "Finally, a cute cousin!"

I growl at her, and she shrugs.

"You didn't want me calling you cute, did you?"

"Good point." I say, "Or you and Sonny may have had a little…cat fight."

Sonny elbows me and I laugh.

"Miaow."

"Careful," She says, "This kitten does have claws, you know."

I laugh, "I'd love to see that someday."

She giggles, "Sure…"

Sara smiles, "So, have I got any other cool surprise cousins?" She asks.

"DIE!"

We all jump at my little brother's second zombie-killing remark of the day, and Sonny scowls.

"Josh! No zombie games! Give me that!"

Sonny rushes over to where Josh sits, and he hides his DSi under his butt to keep it away from her. I cringe again, turning to Sara.

"Uh…anymore surprise cousins? Yes. Cool ones? Absolutely not."

Sara laughs as the pilot tells us we're about to land, and Sonny gives up trying to get the game, taking her seat and snuggling next to me.

We land with a bump and Sonny smiles.

"Home. Finally."

We step out of the plane, out into the open air, and down the stairs. Sonny beams, opening her arms out wide and breathing loudly.

"Ah, Wisconsin smell," She sighs, "I love it!"

"Really?" I ask, "Smells like cow patty."

"Exactly." She grins, "I love it!"

Sara smiles, "Same. Grew up on a farm. Love the smell."

I shake my head, "I don't get you country-folk."

Sonny laughs, before saying in a full Tennessee accent, "Well, diddily-dee! I do believe you have the wrong state there, partner."

I laugh, "Ah, Sonny, you and your annoying stupid-cute charm. How do you do it?"

She laughs, flicking her hair in a Tawni-like manner I've come to like because she does it when joking or mocking. Darn Sonny for making me like things Tawni does.

"I guess I just have that affect on people!" She giggles.

"Uh, do you guys wanna stop your little flirt fight? I wanna look round Wisconsin!" Josh says, slumping ahead, and we laugh.

"Wow." I say, "Sonny, you even have Josh excited about Wisconsin. How'd you do it?"

Sonny shrugs, "I just told him we had the best video game stores ever."

I sigh, "I can't wait till that guy gets into things that matter, like girls."

Sonny gives me a glare and I feel awkward.

"…Because I care about girls, well, one girl. My girl."

She grins, "Nice save, jerk."

With that we head inside, Sara carrying Abby as they share secrets and happy moments. Abby sure has bonded with her new cousin. Whether I have or not, I don't know.

Melanie and Dad are waiting for us already in the front.

When Abby sees them she breaks free from Sara's grip and toddles over to her Dad and new Mom, grinning.

"I missed you, Melly." She says, and Melanie laughs at her new nickname.

"I missed you too, sweetheart. Have you been OK?"

Abby nods, "We have a new cousin!"

Melanie sees Sara and grins. "Sara!"

She runs up and hugs her niece, both of them laughing.

"I've missed you so much!"

"Me too!" Sara says, "It hasn't been the same without you, Aunt Melanie."

"Ah, don't say that!" She says, "You've had the others."

"Yeah, and they're all great. But my 20-year-old brother and my baby sister aren't the easiest people to talk to about growing up and stuff."

Melanie laughs, "Well, don't worry about that. When this marriage is over, Chris and I will get a house, maybe you can move in with us?"

"Wait." I say, "You guys are gonna move out?"

"Well, sure." Dad says, "You're perfectly old enough to take care of the house, the kids, and we've found a place. Just down the road from the big house. Plus, you've got your girlfriend to help if you need it."

At first, I scowl. Dad really is moving on, and I hate that. Then I remember when Mom visited me in the dream, telling me to move on, because Sonny was what I needed to focus on. Plus, if Dad's leaving the house to me, surely it means he thinks I'm grown up. And I like that.

Finally. I'm being treated like an adult. And I like it.

"Let's get going to the house!" Dad smiles, before we head out to the car.

So, let's see what's so great about this home Sonny loves so much…

**:D Do you like Sara? I do. She's gonna be more of a part of it soon, I hope. **

**Plz review for more!**


	14. Finally Home Again

**lol, expected plot coming up! Have fun reading it! :D**

**Chapter 14-Finally Home Again**

Sonny's POV

From the moment we touched down on Wisconsin soil up until now, I've been grinning non-stop. I'm just so happy to be back home – no matter what Chad says.

We drive along the road in a car Chris rented, towards a house I used to live near. In fact, it's right down my street!

I squeal and wave at my old friends as we drive up to the driveway. This should be good!

Chad's POV

From the moment we dropped down onto the Wisconsin soil, Sonny has been beaming like her name. And she's not stopping. And as much as I love happy Sonny, this is a little too much. It's adorable though, I'm not gonna lie. She looks cute.

We drive down a road called Cherry Street, where Sonny actually starts to squeal.

"What?" I laugh.

"This is where I used to live!" She says, her sparkling white teeth shining. "Right… there."

She points to a small country-like house with a cute little rose bush at the front, and roses around the red door. The walls are painted white, and smoke comes out of the chimney. Ah, just the kinda of house I imagined Sonny to live in.

We drive on a little, before arriving just down the road, where a whole party seems to be waiting for us…and a whole bunch of teens. Huh, not what I expected to see at an 'engagement' party, but hey. It's pretty cool. These guys look mine and Sonny's age. Maybe they're Sonny's old friends!

Well, I think I'm right.

It's obvious I'm right when Sonny crawls out of the car, beaming.

"GUYS!" She yells, before hugging them each tightly. I follow her out of the car, feeling a little sidelined when she starts to hug them all. But then I remind myself – Sonny hasn't seen these people in over 2 years. I'll give her time with them.

"Sonny!" They all squeal, about 5 girls, and I guess Sonny was pretty popular around her friends. There are two blonde girls, (which explains why Sonny is attracted to Tawni), one wearing a dress like Sonny would, one wearing a Tawni-esque outfit. (How I know that, I don't know.) Another girl is a red-head, wearing a black beanie hat, jeans, and a skinny purple top. One girl has ink-black hair, wearing mostly black with a few colours. She doesn't seem goth though, because her make-up is full-on bright. I sure hope she knows this isn't fashionable…at least, I think it's not. The final girl is a brunette, like Sonny's hair used to be, and I recognise her straight away. Lucy. I've met her before, from when she came down to see Sonny on the weekend of my party – and no, I am no longer expecting that gift from Sonny. Although it would be appreciated…nope, shutting up now.

"Aw, I've missed you guys!" Sonny grins, and I continue to feel a little sidelined. I won't let myself go on anymore in the shadows though. No matter how much my ego has shrank, I'm still more a foreground person than a background person. I clear my throat loudly and Sonny seems to get the picture.

"Oh, uh, guys, this is…"

"Chad. Dylan. Cooper." The red-head grins, "Of course. You told us you still had him as a boyfriend."

She squeals and I feel a little more uncomfortable than before. Sonny blushes a little, and the girls elbow her a little, giggling. I guess they like me. Or they like the fact that their little friend has got a major Hollywood actor to fall for her.

I'm gonna go with the first, it sounds nicer.

Sonny introduces me to each of the girls. The blonde wearing Sonny-esque clothes is named Maisie, and she seems to be Sonny's little lap dog – not that Sonny asked for it. Like the little puppy you find that won't go away, she's still pretty cool – and a big Mack Falls fan. That's a good point.

The Tawni-esque girl (named Sophie, or Soph) is just like Tawni, isn't a fan of me (although, more that Tawni) and a total diva, but she's also kind and funny. She's not so bad either.

Then the red-head, who's the obsessed fan, and her name is Jessie. She seems to have calmed for this little greeting, and I'm grateful for that. I wonder if she'll still be the same later…not likely. No matter how cool people try to play around me, they always end up making fools of themselves – for me.

The ink-black hair girl with the bright make-up, Annoe, isn't much of a freak as I expected – she was actually part of a bet. Apparently, it's a tradition in the little group of friends Sonny hangs with – when meeting one of the girl's new boyfriends, one of the friends must make themselves look like a freak. Wow, I got it dead on. Nice one, Cooper…

They also have another tradition – this boyfriend must be given 'the treatment'. Lord help me understand what this means. Yeah, I'm religious, (a little), problem? No? Good.

After a little while, we've all been having, I hate to say it, but a great time. All Sonny's friends are pretty cool, and that's good. I was worried they might hate me, but all but the Tawni girl somewhat seem to like me. Even she doesn't seem to have any problems with me, she just likes Tawni Hart. OK, minus the bad tastes in TV stars Sophie has, they're all really cool. It's good to see Sonny has great friends.

Then things go a little wrong. And get worse, and worse…

"Sonny?"

Sonny turns after being tapped on the shoulder and grins when she sees a guy stood there with blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She flings her arms around him, squealing happily.

"Callum!" She grins, "It's awesome to see you!"

"You too!" The Callum guy says. "And I see you have a new boyfriend…Chad Dylan Cooper, cool."

She laughs, before turning to me, flashing her biggest smile and saying, "Chad? This is Callum. He was the last guy I dated before I moved to California."

Uh-oh. I sense a week of tension. Thanks to this guy.

And on my Dad's wedding as well.

…

Great.

**LOL. There we go, but let's see what will happen! :D to be updated soon, but I've entered love channy 5678's contest, so I'll be working on that more than every other story, so yeah. oh, and go enter it! that'll make her happy.**

**Plus, EASTER HOLIDAY! YAY! :D So, uh, maybe I will be updating more often, although it depends how the weather is...so basically, yeah, i don't know when my next update will be. Soz, hopefully it will be tomoz :D**


	15. The Fake Return Of CDC

**Now, before anyone hurts me, I have something to say...a) Sorry I haven't updated this story for a few days. I usually find LWMS (Worst acronym EVER...just say it out loud...pronounced LuWuMuSs) so easy to update but I've done a Nico and Grady on MTC (also a bad acronym, I'll just say My Two Chads). And secondly, I have another friend on FF! Her penname is louisa12, so go check her out! Especially you Sterling Knight fans, coz she loves him :) **

**So yeah! Let's get to the story! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 15-The Fake Return Of CDC**

Chad's POV

"Chad Dylan Cooper…" Callum says, searching me quizzically, "…Aren't you the bad boy of Hollywood?"

"Oh, uh, no." Sonny smiles, guessing that my next line would've been something that could've caused another Civil War. "He's changed."

Callum smiles, "Oh, good." He says, offering out a hand for me to shake, "In that case, it's nice to meet you."

"Yeah…" I scan him before shaking the hand warily, "…You too."

I think Sonny starts to sense the tension, so claps her hands together and grins, "OK! Uh, Chad? Can you come with me to get some punch?"

I shake my head, but before I can tell her why I can't be asked to go anywhere near punch when I have a problem staring me in the face, she gives me a glare. I roll my head back, "Fine."

"Good!" She smiles.

"Good." I tease.

"Fine."

"Fine…"

"Wait." Callum says, "I'm sure one of you can go get punch on your own? It's not that hard."

Sonny goes to protest, before smiling, "You know what, Callum? You're right." She turns to me, that smile wider and brighter (and more annoying) than ever, "Chad, can you do it? Give me and Callum a chance to catch up."

I roll my eyes, "Fine."

"Fine." She laughs, and I scowl.

"Not in the mood." I mumble, leaving Sonny and her ex to _catch up_. Yippee.

Of course, I'm not jealous. Why would, of all people, Chad Dylan Cooper be jealous? I don't get protective. I don't get wary of other guys. I don't get threatened by my girlfriend's ex-relationships. And I _don't _get _jealous_. Not for anyone…

Except…maybe this guy.

Later on, Sonny explains to me what hers and Callum's relationship was like, and I start to rethink the whole "I don't get threatened" bit. And maybe the rest of it too.

"We started when I was about 15." She says, "Going out, I mean. It was just a few days after my birthday, and he used to be so annoying to me, but then that say he was really sweet and kind. Later on he asked me out. It just kinda happened, I guess."

"I hope this story ends quick." I mumble, and she pretends to have not heard it.

"I'll skip to the end, safe you the details." _Thank you… _"When I got the call from Hollywood, I didn't want to tell him that I was leaving, coz we had a…" She winces a little, "…Pretty good relationship. Kinda like when I almost went back to Wisconsin and wouldn't tell you."

I've learnt something today. Sonny hides things from the guys she loves. Boy, that girl has a lesson to learn.

"On our last date, the day before my last day at school, I told him about it. He was really upset, but I told him…certain things."

I laugh, "What? Do you think I'm protective? I'm not your mother, you know."

Sonny giggles.

"Heard that!" Ms Munroe yells over from the snack table, and we both burst into laughter, while I try to hide the fact that I am actually getting slightly jealous…

"So, yeah," Sonny continues, "We decided, since I wasn't going to be around anymore, we should just split up."

My heart lifts. I'm still in the possibly-Sonny-Munroe's-best-boyfriend race. "Really?" She nods. "No…no long-distance relationship plans? No nothing?"

"Nothing." She says, before her face lights up, "Chad Dylan Cooper, are you… _jealous?_"

I gulp, before putting on my '_er, no_' face and saying, "Sonny, you kidding me? Please! Me and you, we're awesome together. No way I'm scared that your _ex_-boyfriend scares me, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper for crying out loud!"

She eyeballs me, "You sure you're not jealous."

I put on a fake grin, which Sonny seems to buy, "Sure. I'm CDC, Hollywood's heartthrob. Believe me; some guy you used to date doesn't scare me. Not one bit."

Sonny smiles, "I've missed that side of you." She says, and I blink.

"What side?"

"The CDC!" She grins, "Not the big-headed part, of course not, but the cool guy, the Chad Dylan Cooper who knows where he stands and plans to stay there. The Chad Dylan Cooper who takes no prisoners. Ever since our break-up, you kinda lost that side of you. It was the jerk side, the scared side, or the sweet side. And as much as I love the sweet side, CDC never gets old."

I grin, "I see your point." I say, "And I mean it. CDC is back, baby! And afraid of no-one!"

"Good for you, Chad." She says, grinning, "I'm glad of that. Otherwise this trip would be a little awkward!"

She gets up and walks off towards her friends, and I watch her.

"Oh, you have _no _idea, Sonshine."

* * *

**:) Yeah, so sorry, a total filler chapter. It's OK though, sooner or later things will build up, and we do love build up stuff, don't we? **

**REVIEW! :D**


	16. My First Wisconsin Party

**Yay! We have a nice long chapter on the way! :D **

**So...guess what? lol. this is totally random. I got my hair done today. no, that's not all :P My Mum said "What do you want the hairdresser to do it like?" and my response was, "Like Demi Lovato's in SWAC episode New Girl". I didn't get it. My brother got his hair done too. I said, "He should have it done like Sterling Knight's when Chad's dating Sonny." That didnt happen either. it just got shorter and now looks like Justin Bieber's (kinda - don't think that was the point, my bro hates JB). why am i the only SK/DL fan in my house? :'(**

**Anyway, story time! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 16-My First Wisconsin Party**

Chad's POV

After a while, I've met all Sonny's family, which is weird considering it isn't actually anyone in her family that this party is for. I guess they heard Sonny was in town and rushed to see. She has that effect on people.

So, what did I expect to happen next? Being _the _Chad Dylan Cooper, I expected to be showered with admiration from these Munroes who seem to be big fans of me. I expected to be mobbed by Sonny's female cousins, long-lost sisters, friends, and I'd smirk at them in my super-cocky way I'd perfected for this very moment, before saying, "Sorry, ladies, I'm taken." Putting my arm around Sonny, who would blush that stupid-cute pink, and we'd be the talk of the party.

Uh no. It didn't turn out, unfortunately.

Instead, I'm meeting the older Coopers. Aunts, uncles, Grannies, Granddads, whatever she wishes to call them. There are way too many Munroes, not that I'm complaining. More relatives means a bigger, and better publicised, wedding for me and Sonny (and no, that wasn't a big-head gesture, I just want me and Sonny to be the best couple of our generation. One generation record has already been broken by me, with Sonny Munroe, another one will be broken in a matter of years).

Meanwhile, I look over to Sonny, whose golden-brown locks fall softly onto her left shoulder in a plait Annie did for her. I try to listen into their conversation, its better than hearing the older people conversations. I start to guess, that maybe, they're talking about me. Hey, a guy can dream.

Sonny's POV

After spending a little time with my boyfriend, I start to think that maybe I should go talk to my old friends, catch up. Chad and I seem to spend every waking moment with each other; a few minutes away from him won't hurt.

I introduce him to my family, the aunts, the uncles, you know? The older generation. He then simply takes a seat next to my Aunt Ruth **(A/N: So that's who Ruth is. Lol ;)) **and I leave him, heading over to where my little gaggle of friends stand, giggling.

"Finally decided to ditch the boyfriend?" Soph asks me, and I shake my head disapprovingly at her as she flicks her hair back. She so reminds me of Tawni.

"Not a fan?" I ask, and she shrugs.

"Not a fan of Chad? Uh, yeah. But, you guys seem to be cool together. I can put up with that. But…if you ever change your mind…"

"No!" I yell, laughing as Annie, the friend who ended up drawing the short straw and having to show up to this party wearing bright, ugly make-up, starts to braid my hair.

Maisie, who Lucy always described as my fraternal twin, whacks Soph with a dish-towel she's washing a plate with (why, I have no idea).

"Ignore her, Sonny." She says, "You're having a stable relationship with _the _Chad Dylan Cooper – how many girls can say that?"

I giggle, "Not many, I guess."

"Exactly." Maisie says, "I follow Chad on Flitter – I almost know him as well as you do. Trust me – he likes you. On Flitter, he's either talking about Mackenzie Falls, himself, or more often, you. After you're first date, I was reading for like an hour what he thought of you. Of course, I already knew what he said about you."

"What did he say?" I ask, and Lucy smirks.

"Probably – Heya CDC fans. My first topic of today's update – Sonny Munroe. She's a'ight, but she's not as awesome as the _me_, as you all know. Her laugh is kinda annoying, and her dress sense is weird."

I gasp, taking the towel from Maisie, and I whack a laughing Lucy.

"Kidding, Sonny." She says.

"I just gotta say," Jessie starts, and I gulp. Jessie's a MAJOR Chad Dylan Cooper fan. This is just gonna be weird. "YOU and CHAD? I thought you didn't like jerks! Then you changed him into not a jerk! What did you do to my Chad?"

I laugh, "Relax, Jess, he's way better now than before. You may have liked the Chad Dylan Cooper you see over Flitter and Facechum and Mackenzie Falls, but that was never the real Chad Dylan Cooper. He was so annoying."

"Do you think you've broke him?" Soph asks, and I smile.

"I do."

"Hallelujah!" She yells, and I laugh. **(A/N: Random note, coz I found it funny. While typing this, I had spell check on. I typed Hallelujah, expecting to make a mistake. Nothing. I grinned hugely, so much I carried on typing, not looking at the screen or the keyboard. I spelt 'she' – 'sje'. FAIL. Back to story now :P) **"Maybe this new Chad is worth paying attention to."

"Well, let's find out." Maisie says, before calling over to Chad, who grins when he notices we want his attention. Then I see Callum and I smile.

"You too, Callum!" I say, "You guys can have a chance to get to know each other."

Chad gulps, grinning a little, "Fan_tastic_." He says, slumping down next to me.

The rest of the night isn't so bad. All us teens gather round in a group (Chad insists he's not a teen anymore, but when he realises his other option is to be dumped back with the older Munroes, Coopers, his little siblings, and Melanie's friends and family, he immediately takes to 'teens' like a duck to water), and Sara, Chad's new cousin-to-be joins us too. We start by sharing stories (some ghost, lucky I'm there to comfort - can't believe I'm saying this - Chad), and singing.

Callum had brought his old glossy blue guitar that he'd used to help teach me (don't tell Chad that though) and played a few sweet tunes that we all got up and danced to. When he played 'Just the Way You Are' by Bruno Mars, Chad asked me to dance, and that made me blush as red as a tomato. Chad didn't seem to mind though. He took my hand in his, and pulled me close, singing softly into my ear. That made me even redder, and tears built up in my eyes. I never realised Chad thought all those things about me, he told me every word of that was true to us.

"My hair isn't perfect." I'd said, referring to the words in the song, and he laughed.

"Liar."

"I'm serious! And my laugh…"

He tickled me and made me laugh (more like snort), and I stopped short to see him grinning while I caught my breath again.

"Beautiful." He said, as I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. "You really are amazing. Just the way you are."

After that, Chad volunteered me for some singing, he took the guitar off of Callum and played some of my songs on it, and I sung along. He told me afterwards his favourite of all was 'What To Do'.

"Another perfect song for us." He'd said, smiling. "And an all-round perfect song."

Now, Chad's doing a little playing (guitar for all the sick-minded people). He's played 'How We Do This' by himself, 'Hero' and 'What You Mean to Me' by Sterling Knight, 'Count on Me' and 'Talking to the Moon' by Bruno Mars, and now, by Jessie's request, 'Chad Chad Chaddy Chad Chad'.

"Ah, the icing on the cake." I whisper to him as he plays, and he laughs as he plays the final chords and we all sing the long note of 'Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!'

Best 'welcome home' party ever.

"And, don't forget." Annie says to Chad, "We still have the group tradition to do."

Chad gulps, "And…what does this tradition involve?"

Soph grins, "You'll see when you wake up tomorrow."

"He's not gonna sleep now from the terror!" I laugh as Chad yawns.

"I beg to differ," He says, "I need m'beauty sleep."

"Not that you need it, Chaddy." I say, and he smiles.

"Very true, m'lady," He says, "Very true."

In the end, we found out since there was very little room for everyone to stay in Melanie's old house she had rented out, me and Chad were homeless.

"Guess we're gonna need a hotel room." Chad says, Mom giving him the evils.

"Single beds, Mom." I wink, and she nods.

"They'd better be. Single rooms, if possible."

I roll my eyes, but give up explaining to my Mom that I'm eighteen now and can take care of myself.

Chad and I arrive at a local hotel that I used to hide in from my Mom sometimes (as a joke, I wasn't a runaway), and book in a room with one bedroom, 2 single beds.

"And make sure they're as far away as possible." I say to the guy at the desk, applying to Mom's rule, and Chad gasps, before snorting at whatever thought he was having.

"Relax, Sonshine." He says, "You're safe with me."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

He rolls his eyes as we head up to the room, as I text my friends the details of where we're staying so they can go through with the plan (Remember? In our friendship circle we have a little…ritual. I don't think Chad's gonna like it, though. But he has to, just to check he really does like me) Basically, our plan works this way – if the boyfriend gets mad at you and dumps you for the 'prank' (won't tell you what it is) then he doesn't really love you. If he takes it OK or takes it as a joke, or forgives you for it, he does love you. Obviously Chad's gonna get mad whether he loves me or not (he does). Confused at why? I'll tell you later…

"So." I say as we get into bed. "Did you enjoy your first Wisconsin party?"

He nods, "It was surprisingly fun. And the weather was unexpected."

I laugh. Yeah, a mild temperature during Wisconsin winter? Very odd. "I don't think it will last." I say, and he smiles. "Trust me, this is gonna be a life-changing week for you."

He doesn't take his eyes off me, and I feel a little awkward, but also comfortable in his sight.

"Sure will be, Alison." He says. Why's he using my real name? "Sure will be."

I turn of the lamp on my side of the room and nestle into bed, for sleep.

It's good to be home.

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**:D Just gotta say, I have a nice chapter coming up for you. I was in the shower earlier and thought of something for next chapter, so if we have a double update today, yippee, that is why. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Until that happens though, REVIEW! :)**


	17. A First Time For Everything

**Yay! Another chapter! That's two in one day! I think this might be the last one of the day. Going to my brother's friend's birthday party. Yay. Uh, might be fun, I hope. My Dad's the DJ, which I know you guys are gonna go "embarrassing", but to be honest, it's not. lol. He's awesome. Cool parents, dontcha love em? I love my Dad's music sense. And my Dad. And my Mum. Don't we all? lol ;)**

**Know what I also love? This chapter! :D So let's read! :)**

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**Chapter 17-A First Time For Everything**

Sonny's POV

I wake up to a bright white light coming through the light beige curtains, but I'm too tired to un-draw them. Instead, I head to the bathroom to have shower. I let the water run, building up the temperature, placing yesterday's clothes on the towel rack for afterwards. When the water is warm enough, I step in, letting the liquid trickle down my neck. I draw the shower curtain across, just in case I wake up Chad, before relaxing.

Do you ever wonder what can be so relaxing about a shower? I do. I think it's just that it feels like a waterfall, a soft, small, sweet waterfall. I always loved having showers, call me weird. It just seems to be a regular Wisconsin memory – I rarely ever had baths because my family loved to save water. From when I was eight, Mom showed me how our shower worked and that was that.

I suddenly hear a knock on the door and jump, lucky not to slip on the wet floor.

"Sonny?" Chad's voice comes from behind the door, "You in there?"

"Yeah." I say, "Sorry, did I wake you up with the water?"

"Yeah, but don't worry." He says, "It's OK. I just think I have something on my face and need to wash it off."

"OK." I say, realising I forgot to lock the door. "I have the curtain drawn, so come on in."

Chad opens the door, and I watch his figure move over to the mirror, before letting out a not-so-manly scream.

"What is it?" I ask, poking my head around the curtain, and I stifle a laugh when I see the same bright make-up that Annie was wearing yesterday smeared across his face, and his hair up in spikes like Dennis the Menace.

"I take it this is your little tradition?" Chad asks, and I nod.

"Yeah, the obvious sleepover prank…I guess they found us."

"It washes off, right?" He asks, and I sigh.

"Of course it does," I say, "I'd have thought, you, as a TV star, would know all make-up comes off."

"And the hair?" He asks, pointing to his head.

"Brush it." I say. "A lot. It could be hard."

"Okay, okay," He says, "Can I borrow any make-up remover equipment you have?"

"In the travel bag, the end of my bed." I tell him, "The little red container in the purple bag. There's a comb next to it."

He zips into the bedroom to get the make-up wipes, before coming back and spending the whole time I'm in the shower in front of the mirror. Ugh! I wanna get out here! The water's getting cold!

"Can you pass me a towel?" I ask him 10 minutes after the waiting began, turning off the water, and (not looking) he passes a blue towel with the letters MF on it.

"Seriously?" I ask, "You brought your own towel?"

"They have a comfy homey feel." He says, and I take it from him, drying myself off, trying not to slip on the wet floor of the shower.

"So," I say, "What do you think of my friends?"

He pauses, "Uh…they're cool. I like some of them…"

"Like?" I ask.

"Like Maisie." He says, "She's kinda like you, only different coloured hair and not as pretty."

"Aw!" I squeal.

"Yeah." He says, "And Annie's OK. The moment I saw her, I thought she was an emo. She's actually pretty fun."

"Yeah." I say, trying to use the towel to get the water out of my ears.

"But…Soph scares me. Reminds me of Tawni. She doesn't like me, right?"

I shrug, "Uh, she's not a fan." I say. "But don't worry, you'll grow on her."

"And she'll grow on me?"

"Most likely." I say. "What about…" I hope this isn't awkward for him, "Uh… Callum?"

He pauses again, taking a deep breath. "Uh…Callum's OK. He's a good guitar player."

"Yeah." I say, "He reminds me of you, a little."

He freezes, and I see his silhouette look my way, "How so?"

"Well, we used to fight." I say, "We had a…er…" I avoid saying 'good', "…_descent_ relationship…talented, funny…"

I can sense him frowning, before smiling when he realises I just said _he's _all those things too.

"Well, in that case, I'm honoured." He says, "Are there any differences?"

I think, "He plays hockey."

"Yep, I guessed so." He says, "It's freezing in Wisconsin, right? Really icy?"

I gasp, "Not icy all the time!"

"So, what are we doing today?"

I go to answer, but hearing a faint mooing.

"My phone!" I yell, wrapping the towel and around myself and running into the bedroom, my hair still dripping wet.

"I could've got that, y'know." Chad says, but I ignore him, picking up the phone.

"Hello?" I ask, before Jessie's excited voice comes from the other side.

"Have you looked outside?"

"Not yet…" I say, "Why?"

"Look!" She yells. I open the curtains as Chad walks into the bedroom, the make-up completely gone, hair almost presentable. I grin at the sight before me, something I haven't seen since the day I left Wisconsin to start my dream life.

"What is it?" Chad asks, and I turn back at him, grinning.

"Come look." I say. He walks over, before looking out the window at the sight that being a Californian, he wouldn't be as used to it as I am. And I love it.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I ask.

"I never thought I'd see it for real." He smiles.

"Snow." I say, hugging him. "You've never seen snow?"

"Not for real." He says, "In California, some people don't believe in snow. I started to believe it was a myth set about by movie writers and Antarctica scientists, or at least, how it looked. I thought Hollywood movie directors exaggerated it…never thought it was _this _beautiful."

I smile. My boyfriend has never seen snow for real, and here I am with him, at his first real viewing of real snow. It feels romantic, sweet, and the perfect beginning to a day that I can tell is gonna be awesome.

I grab a purple coat I brought just in case of this very moment, and put it on, along with striped gloves, a matching hat, and a pink scarf.

"What am I gonna do?" Chad asks, "I didn't think snow was gonna strike, so I got nothing."

"That's why I bought one for you." I say, fishing a blue jacket out of my travel bag. "See if it fits, we'll buy you other stuff later."

We run out into the snow after Chad has finally fixed his hair and grin when we see the little kids making snowmen, snow angels, throwing snowballs at each other. I smile at the scene, before feeling something frozen and wet hit my back, and I gasp at the coldness. I turn back to see Chad, throwing a snowball up in the air and catching it when it comes back down, repeatedly.

"OK, so I've watched the movies." He says, "And they all say – snowball fights are a must! It's romantic and fun!"

"When was a snowball fight romantic?" I ask.

"I dunno." Chad shrugs, "Fun though, one out of two ain't so bad."

"Are you really challenging me?" I ask, and he nods. "Need I remind you I thrashed you in that pillow fight that time at my house?"

"Not the same thing." He says, throwing another snowball, and I laugh as it misses me. I load up my ammo, making a perfectly round ball, before aiming it in a clean arc to reach Chad's arm, before it explodes in a burst of white softness.

"That hurt!" Chad yells, and I laugh.

"Did I forget to mention?" I say, compacting a load of snow together, "I was also always the winner of any snowball fight, ever played with anyone."

"Well, that's all about to change." He smirks.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" I ask, "Or more, your car?"

I do love Chad's car, and obviously, so does he.

"Not Rebecca!" He yells.

I sigh. "Which one's Rebecca?"

"The Porsche." He says.

"Fine." I say, "I win, I get the Aston Martin."

He pauses, thinking, "Ashley's getting old, so OK. And if I win?"

"I baby-sit Josh and Abby for one month?"

He rolls his hand, asking me to continue. Obviously, that isn't as big as him losing his baby car. "And…?"

"I'll guest star in Mackenzie Falls?" I say.

"And…?"

"I'll say publicly that you are the greatest actor of your generation." I moan, "And to add to your stakes, I win, you admit you watch So Random."

He scowls, "Fine. It's on."

"Bring it!" I laugh.

Unluckily, I notice he's already built up a snowball, and throws it right at me. I duck, so it misses me, and instead hits an old lady walking past.

"Sorry." I say to her. Big mistake.

I turn back after apologising to see Chad running my way. He aims at me and hits me clean. I run from him, picking up snow whenever I can. I take shelter with a bunch of little kids, out of Chad's view, before borrowing the kid's ammo and throwing none-stop at Chad. I jump on his back and hold a freezing cold snowball to his face.

"OK, OK!" He says, "Geez, get off!"

I do as he asks, still holding the snowball to his face. He slowly smiles at me, before I notice a snowball in his hand. He runs backwards, before throwing the projectile through the cold January air. Then something unexpected (for him) happens.

I catch his snowball, laughing in his face, before throwing it at him. I then summon my new child-friends from the shelter to help, and Chad ends up after two minutes on the floor, begging for mercy.

"No fair!" He yells.

"We never said we couldn't get help." I shrug, "I win!"

"You're way too talented." He laughs, getting up slowly, "So, uh, what next?"

I shrug, "Wanna go ice skating?"

He blinks, "Uh…ice…skating?"

I nod, "It could be fun."

"OK then." He says.

"And I'll catch you if you fall."

He rolls his eyes, "Funny."

He takes my arm in his and we walk over to his rented car parked outside the hotel, before driving to the closest ice-skating park, grinning the whole ride.

This is gonna be fun…

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**Yes, yes it will. If you review! :D lol ;) **

**Thanks xXxXx**

**Oh, and I don't own Sonny With A Chance! Anyone noticed rarely NO-ONE writes out the whole name, they just put "I dont own SWAC". LOL ;)**

**So, yeah, byebye xxx**


	18. Ice Skating

**Wow. I'm finding this story way too easy to update. That's not a bad thing though, lol. I hope...**

**anyway, they're about to go ice skating, so enjoy! :D**

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**Chapter 18-Ice Skating**

Chad's POV

Well, this morning has been…interesting. In good and bad ways.

First, I woke up to a bad look – Sonny's friends had made me look like a clown with a bad hair day. At least it came off easily. Still – bad part.

Then, got my first glimpse of live snow, and I loved it. Eighteen years and I hadn't seen snow ever…now I know what I was missing this whole time. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Of course, a few things come in front of that, including Sonny. Nothing is as beautiful as Sonny. Yep, that was a good part of the day.

Afterwards, I added something else to my list of things Sonny can do way too well. Acting is one, comedy is another, and looks are a third. There's also pillow fights, cooking, and now snowball fights. That girl takes that sort of thing really seriously, but then I guess a car and her pride were on the line. Now Ashley belongs to her. Sigh…I'll miss that girl…whether that's a good or a bad part to the morning, I have no clue.

Now we're just arriving at the ice-skating rink Sonny is so proud of. She says she used to come here all the time, and it's apparently the pride of the area. Let's hope it lives up to its reputation…

Sonny drags me into the reception where a woman stands at the desk. She asks of two pairs of skates, size 6 and 9 **(A/N: Total guess. Remember – never skated before. Also never got shoes for Demi Lovato or Sterling Knight) **and then drags me into the changing rooms, where we pull on the cloggy boots and try to wander onto the ice without slipping. Those things are hard to balance on.

"OK, here we go." Sonny says, taking my hand tightly and stepping onto the ice, and I close my eyes, for some reason thinking that will be better for me. As my right blade connects with the cold ice, I suddenly feel a chill and slip a little, not losing my footing. I smile at my success at conquering the ice so far, and Sonny laughs.

"C'mon!" She says, "You gonna try skating now?"

I shake my head, "I'm fine just standing at the side."

She sighs, pulling at my hand. I'm amazed she hasn't fallen over yet. "Please!" She says, "I'll help you."

I huff, "Fine." I say, "But if I fall…and this gets damaged…" I point at my face, "…You've gotta pay."

She laughs, "Deal. But you won't get hurt. I promise."

I smile, "OK, then. Try me."

She moves forward a little, showing me how to do it. "It's simple." She lies, and I gulp.

"Like…"

Bam. On the floor. My head connects with the ice and I cry out in pain. A few people look our way, but it's not that I'm worried about. I just hope my face is OK.

"You alright?" Sonny asks me.

"Yeah." I say, blinking to check I'm awake, "I'm OK."

"Are you sure?" She asks, and I nod, "Just to check, what's your name?"

I laugh. She did this exact thing when I crashed that bike. Not doing that again.

"Chad Dylan Cooper." I say.

"And mine?" She asks.

"S-"

"Sonny!" We hear a girl squeal, and turn to see Annie, Soph, and Maisie heading our way. "Chad! Is he OK?"

"Hey, guys!" Sonny smiles, "Yes, he's fine. Right, Chad?"

"Yep." I say, struggling up.

"It's his first time." Sonny explains to the girls, and I wince. Whether it's at the embarrassment of being exposed as a new-comer, or the pain in the back of my head, I don't know. It's one of them, though. Or maybe both.

"Please don't advertise that." I whisper to her, and the girls laugh.

"It's fine, Chad." Maisie says, "It's not like we expect you to have if you've never seen snow before."

I blink, "How'd you know that?"

"Lucky guess." She says, "It barely snows in California, right?"

"Right." I say, "OK, I admit it, never seen snow."

"Well, it's OK." Annie says, "We'll help you – you'll get used to it, promise."

"Alright then." I say, "Show me."

A few hours go past, and we're having some fun. I guess. It would've been better with just me and Sonny, but normal people have group dates all the time, right? Well, usually there's more than one guy, I guess.

And now there is.

"Callum!" Soph smiles, and we all look to where she's looking, "Lucy! Jessie!"

Oh, great. Even more people. What fun. And so romantic too. And I had it all planned out too. Not in front of all these guys. No way. I may be used to big audiences, with millions of people watching Mackenzie Falls every week, but Mackenzie Falls is never live.

And my life is live. I guess that's why they call it live. **(A/N: I like Chad's logic)**

"Wow." Lucy grins, "Fancy meeting everyone here!"

"I know, right?" Sonny laughs. "We should all go round together."

Oh, God. I can't go as fast as all these guys. Sure, I've been skating for two hours now and I don't fall flat on my face every time I try to move, but these guys, being skilled Wisconsinite skaters, I'm gonna get lost. I know it.

Sonny's POV

After a little while of skating with the others (Chad trailing behind, bless him) we decide to go back to the hotel. Sure, this has been fun, but I'm tired, and Chad looks a little bored now. Or just fed up at the number of times he's fallen. Luckily, nothing has been done to his looks, so I'm not gonna be killed for promising to keep him safe.

"Well, it was good to see you guys again." I say to my friends, wrapping my arms around Chad's waist, and Soph gags.

"Sick." She says between fake coughs, and I roll my eyes.

"You're just jealous." I say.

"Yeah…" She says, "…Jealous that you have him as your boyfriend? Uh, I'm good with normal guys. Having a Drama King as a boyfriend? Too much drama."

I huff, "Well, duh." I say, "But it's not that bad."

Chad blinks, and I think he's trying to decide whether the remark 'Drama King' was a compliment or an insult. He smiles flakily at Soph and I guess he's decided 'insult'.

"Well, we'd better go." He says, flicking off his boots and dragging me out to the rental car. Not Ashley, of course. He left her at home, but of course that doesn't matter to him anymore coz Ashley's now mine.

"Well, that was fun." I say, and he nods.

"Yeah…" He says, "…Great."

I look at him, and he seems a little shaken up.

"Chad?" I ask, putting my hand on his right knee, "You OK?"

"Yeah." He says, "It was great. Thanks for taking me. I had fun."

He smiles happily, and I decide to take what he's saying as the truth.

"So, we're going to where everyone's staying tonight for a little while, that OK?" I ask.

"Sure." He says, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Oh…" I say, a little shaken myself, "No reason."

"Cool." He says.

"And maybe tomorrow, we can go do some hockey." I laugh.

"Uh, no." Chad laughs, "I've seen slash hit enough ice today to last me my whole life."

"OK, then." I say, "We'll find something _non_-icy to do."

Chad smiles, starting the engine. "Sounds fun."

We drive off with a happy mood, but I can't help sensing a little tension fill the warm inside-the-car air…

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**Review!**

**So, today I got the StarStruck soundtrack (mrpuppy knows this ;)) and I've been listening to it repeatedly. Now I've moved on to Glee... I'M SUCH A TRAITOR! Nothing against Glee, but I do miss Sterling's sweet voice right now :(**

**LOL, I'm So Random. ;)**


	19. Hockey and Suspicions

**And another chapter! :D Please tell me you reviewed the last chapter anyways. lol ;)**

**Now we have what everyone's been waiting for! Channy drama! :D**

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**Chapter 19-Hockey and Suspicions**

Sonny's POV

Last night was so much fun! I even think Chad enjoyed it, considering the awkward mood between us after ice skating. I don't know what made it so awkward, maybe it was just me. It was just that we spent the whole ride in silence, maybe it was just a comforting silence. Maybe I took the whole thing the wrong way.

Either way, the dinner was cool. We had a beef stroganoff special to Melanie's family. What made it special? A little hint of Wisconsin cheddar. _Yum_. I didn't expect it to taste so good, but it was amazingly delicious. Even Chad seemed to think so, and I didn't think he was a fan of Wisconsin cheddar. Well, he sure is now.

We arrived home, way to tired to do anything else but fall right onto our beds and close our eyes. I think the moment my head touched the pillow, I went out like a light. Plus, I felt completely bloated after eating that huge meal. You know when you have your favourite meal in a large portion, and enjoy it so much right until about two hours later when it comes back to haunt you? I seriously felt like a whale. That's when Chad put on the radio and 'Just the Way You Are' coincidentally came on.

At the end, the radio presenter said in his bubbly voice, "And that was Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars, requested by my great friend Chad Dylan Cooper for his Sonshine. You are one lucky girl, Sonny Munroe."

"You really are, m'lady." Chad grinned.

I blushed redder than the day I got my first Californian sun-burn.

I wake up to my phone ringing for a text. I groan, looking over to Chad who is smiling in his sleep. Good, he's not awake. I was worried the stupid phone would've woken him up.

_Hey, Sonny, _The text from Maisie says, _Callum has a hockey game and wanted to know if you and your boyfriend wanted to join us! It's free! xxx_

I gulp. I'd love to go, spend a little time like the old days, with my friends. The problem is, Chad seemed really observant of Callum. Sadly, I don't think he likes him.

Chad was really tired last night, and I don't want to wake him. But this could be cool! A chance to be alone with my friends once more – I don't want to spend every waking moment with Chad. Sorry if that sounded mean, but what I mean is, maybe we should spend a little time apart. He can maybe spend time with his little sister and brother while I go out to this match. And who knows, maybe Chad won't even wake up till I get back.

_I'm gonna come. _I text her, _Chad is busy helping to sort Melanie's wedding. Pick me up in a minute!_

_Kk, _she texts back, _I'll see you then!_

I peek outside to see it's still snowing, so I get changed, putting my coat over the top, before leaving Chad a note.

_9:50 - Heya, Chad. I'm just going out with the girls to a hockey match _(I don't dare to mention Callum) _and Abby and Josh are alone today. Do you wanna do the babysitting for today? I'll be at Melanie's by lunch. Sonny xxx_

I tuck the note under the palm of his hand, hoping he'll notice it (well, why wouldn't he?) before quietly sneaking out the door.

When I get to the lobby, Maisie, Lucy, and the others are stood waiting.

"So, Chad's not coming?" Soph asks. I nod, and she pumps her fists, miming 'yes'.

"OK, that's my boyfriend you're talking about." I say, motioning her to shut up by miming a zip, and she does so.

Lucy smiles, "Well, the match is half ten, so let's go!"

Chad's POV

I wake up, looking at the clock. Eleven o'clock. Wow, I've slept in, even for myself. I stretch a little.

"Man, I really shouldn't have had that extra helping of cheese." I say to Sonny as my stomach bloats, guessing she'll be awake being the early (or at least, earlier than me) riser she is.

No reply.

"Sonny?" I ask.

Nothing.

"…Sonny?" I repeat, getting up, when I hear a scrunching and feel something in my hand. I look at it…a note. Maybe it's from Sonny. I read it.

_9:50 - Heya, Chad. I'm just going out with the girls to a hockey match_ _and Abby and Josh are alone today. Do you wanna do the babysitting for today? I'll be at Melanie's by lunch. Sonny xxx_

I blink, the words slowly sinking in. She's going out…with the girls? To a hockey match?

I suddenly remember, she mentioned going to a hockey match yesterday, or at least to play. I assume that since I said no she decided to go without me. That hurts a little.

But then, she has a point. I should go hang with my siblings. I haven't spent time with them since we reached Wisconsin; it's been all about Sonny and Chris and Melanie. Now I'm gonna spend a day away from Sonny. She's right. We should spend a little time apart, we don't wanna be the couple attached at the hip from dawn till dusk.

Then something hits me like a ton of bricks.

Hockey…Sonny said Callum played hockey…is Callum maybe in this match? Even worse…is Sonny going just to see Callum? My heart starts to race and I wonder…is Sonny _cheating _on me? Or is she getting _bored of me?_ Maybe she's getting bored of _California_ altogether.

Then another thing hits me, even harder than the previous. Is that maybe the whole reason Sonny's here? Because she's bored of California and wants to move back?

My heart hits the floor, and I run straight down the stairs. I ask the guy at reception if she knows where he went, and he tells me the directions. I then get in my car and speed to the hockey pitch.

_How could she?_

Then I stop myself from thinking that, slowing down the car in case I get caught. _Calm down, Chad. _I think, _don't jump to conclusions. You're being ridiculous. You need evidence first. Everyone's innocent until proven guilty…_

I head straight to the hockey pitch, to prove to myself that Sonny still loves me, because I know it. Even though there's a feeling eating away at my heart that I need to wake up and smell the roses, because it's true that she wants to come back home. All this time since we arrived, she's love it. A lot. Everything we've done has made her happy, so maybe she really does want to live back in Wisconsin…

I don't listen to that part of my mind though, as I cruise along the road, avoiding fans who notice me for the first time since I arrived here. Why do nice things show up when you least want them to?

I arrive at the hockey pitch, hoping, praying, that everything is fine.

_Everything is fine, everything is fine, everything is fine, everything is…_

…

* * *

**:O **

**OMG! Any predictions? Anyone guess what caused the "..."? REVIEW and stay tuned to find out! :D**


	20. Something About My Sonshine

**And, you thought that was all from me! **

**Wow! Three updates of one story in one day? That's a record for me! :D Although, this is a short one...oh well**

**Anyway, new chapter, let's read :)**

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**Chapter 20-Something About My Sonshine**

Sonny's POV

"GOAL!"

Me and the girls toast to the winning team using our soda cans as the timer reaches zero, grinning. Callum's team won! I'm so proud of him! So proud of the whole team – they were really good.

We run down to where the team comes out of the changing room, trying not to act like crazed fans at a Jonas Brothers concert, but we're all so proud! It was a real nail-biter of a match, but they won right at the last second! All I can say is, bravo.

"This has been fun." Annie says to me, and I smile.

"It has."

"Things really aren't the same without you," She continues, "We realised that when you came back – it's been lame without ya."

"Aw, thanks." I smile, joining all my friends together in a group hug.

"Hey?" We hear a voice say, and turn to see a sweaty Callum. "Forgetting someone?"

"Of course not!" I say, hugging him. I then get a sneaky suspicion someone's looking at me, but ignore it. It's just me being silly.

"We should so celebrate!" Maisie says.

"Totally!" Jessie agrees, but I sigh. I promised Chad I'd be home at lunch. I look at the clock, half twelve.

"Sorry, guys." I say, "But I've gotta get going."

"Please?"

They all give me pouty faces, and I sigh.

"Lemme just ask Chad…"

I call Chad's number, and wait. I hear a faint ringing, but ignore it again. I'm being stupid, Chad wouldn't be here. He'll probably be with Abby playing with her dolls, or trying to thrash Josh on bowling. He doesn't even know where the hockey pitch is anyway.

Hmm, no answer.

I send him a text, saying, _sorry Chad, gonna have lunch out too with my friends. Hope you and the kids are having fun! ttyl! ;)_

I put away my phone and smile at my friends.

"Let's go."

Chad's POV

_I arrive at the hockey pitch, hoping, praying, that everything is fine._

_Everything is fine, everything is fine, everything is fine, everything is…_

…

Everything's sure fine between Sonny and her friends. I hide behind a curtain, watching them hug. Then I see Callum come out of a changing room and Sonny hugs him tight, making my stomach churn.

I don't hear much, but I do see Sonny get out her phone and call someone. Then my phone starts ringing. Caller ID: Sonny.

I ignore it and send it to voicemail. I don't think I want to talk to her right now. She probably just wants to tell me that she's going out with her friends and Callum. Callum. How I _hate _the feel of that name on my tongue.

My phone then gets a text, also from Sonny.

_Sorry Chad, gonna have lunch out too with my friends. Hope you and the kids are having fun! ttyl! ;)_

I read through the text, fed up. I don't care Sonny, do what you want.

I was right, the whole time. Sonny _wanted _to come to Wisconsin, to see her friends, her ex, and maybe, if she's lucky, to stay in Wisconsin after Dad and Melanie's wedding.

Fine by me. Not that I care anymore.

I leave the hockey pitch, getting in my car. Shall I talk to Sonny? Tell her I saw her hugging her ex and tell her that she needs to explain? Well, what is there to explain? I know it all anyway.

Sonny came here to get away from California for a while, then when she was having too much fun she decided that she was enjoying life back in Wisconsin and wants to come back. It's clear now, it's why she came. It's obvious after what she did today.

Fine, I don't need her. Maybe I should go straight back to California? Steal away Abby and Josh and make a break for it?

Then I remember the wedding. Its tomorrow, and I don't want to ruin my Dad's special day all because of _Alison Munroe. _I'll just wait till the wedding is over tomorrow, then leave. If I just stow away, it saves all the drama. I'm not up for drama at the moment. I'm not up for anything.

Yes, I'll leave it one more day, and then I'm out.

I call Sara, my cousin, the cute one (I un-slap myself for thinking she's cute. I am single now anyway. Then I remember, she's gonna be family…slap myself mentally once again), and ask her if she wants to swap beds, as in, so I can be as far from Sonny as possible.

I'll make up some excuse to get away Saturday morning, taking Abby and Josh away with me. All I know is, I can't stay in this state. Not anymore…all because of my Sonshine, I mean…_Alison _Munroe.

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**:'( So sad! :'(**

**WEDDING NEXT CHAPTER! It will be split into two chapters, coz so much will happen. Next chapter will be the night before and just before, the second will be the reception (coz the actual wedding may be boring) and that night...**

**So, review! :)**


	21. The Wedding Part 1

**YAY! It's the wedding! (blows one of those party blowers) The marriage of...Chrelanie, I guess? Oh, well, whatevs.**

**Dedication: I feel like dedicating...so, this one is dedicated to nangelgirl923 for talking to me this whole time I've been writing this chapter. We had quite a talk! ;) **

**Oh, and I've put times in. This will just help you keep track of time for this, coz it seems to work for AbbielovesChanny on Whisk Me Away. Have I mentioned that story before? I think I have. Go check it out if you ignored me last time, it's worth it :D**

**Let's read now! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 21-The Wedding Part 1**

Sonny's POV – The night before, 8:12pm

_Hey, Sonny, _The text from Sara says, _Chad is with me now, and he says it's OK if you want to hang with your friends for the rest of the day, that's cool. We're hanging with Abby and Josh, fun, right? lol. Anyway, see you later!_

I've been reading it over and over since I got it 6 hours ago at 2pm, when me and the others left the Pizza Palace. I would've left earlier, but the queue was huge! This was a major hang-out place of us though, so we wanted to eat here. We demanded.

"Do you know who this is?" Jessie yelled at the waitress when we couldn't get in, motioning at me, and I blushed. "This is _Sonny Munroe! _The best comedian in the world! Ever watched _SO RANDOM?_"

Embarrassing…

Now I sit in Maisie's car, on the way back to the hotel, trying to read between the lines. If everything was fine, why didn't Chad send this text?

Sonny, you're being ridiculous, don't worry. Everything is fine, everything is fine, everything is…

"Sara?"

I walk into the hotel room me and Chad were staying at, to see Sara sat on Chad's bed.

"Uh-oh…" She says.

Sara's POV – 8:16pm

_Remember, _Chad's upset words ring through my brain, _Don't let her know I saw her hug Callum. Don't let her know I know her little plan. Just…make up something. I don't want anyone else to know I'm gonna leave, especially __**her**__._

I was surprised when Chad burst in earlier, so mad. He said he saw Sonny cheating on him, he said she had 'a little plan' to ditch him altogether after this whole wedding… that she was using him the whole time. He didn't call her Sonshine, or his lady, or even Sonny. He kept referring to her as Allison. He seemed so mad at her – I didn't think Sonny could cause so much pain.

I do like Sonny, but since Chad's my new older cousin, I really need to help him out here. Right now, I'm sat on his old bed, trying to plan out what to tell Sonny.

"Sara?"

I look up to see Sonny stood there, a confused look on her face.

"Uh-oh."

"Where's Chad?" She asks, and I gulp.

"Uh…" (insert light bulb) "…He's still doing the whole 'you guys are getting married' thing. You know? The tradition where the groom and bride can't see each other till the wedding or something like that."

She blinks. I think she's bought it. "OK…that's cute." She smiles. "We'd better get some sleep – big day tomorrow."

_And check if she calls Callum or anything like that, just so I know if she is falling for him again. Any signs, tell me tomorrow._

Anything for my big cousin. I watch Sonny, not sleeping all through the night. The things you do for family, eh? But, she never calls anyone. Nothing. She's always sleeping.

And then my phone alarm goes off. 9am. Great. Morning, gotta go help Aunt Melanie get ready for the wedding.

Sonny smiles at me. "Sleep well?"

I nod, hiding the lie with a yawn, and Sonny grins. So that's the stupid infectious grin Chad was talking about…

"Let's go!"

Chad's POV – the wedding day! 8:20am

I wake up to the alarm clock going off, in the same bedroom as Josh and Abby.

The wedding today. Yippee. I'll admit I'm kind of excited, it takes my thoughts away from Allison for a split second or so.

I can't believe what she did to me. Seeing her hug Callum and then reject me over a text hurt like a slap. A very hard slap. One that Chaz would usually take for me, or he would if he still wasn't covered in minor casts. He's recovering, sure, but still…

Oh, great. Another thought that brings me back to Allison and all the fun days we had together, or what I presumed at the time.

What is she even thinking? Moving back to Wisconsin? What about her stupid little comedy show? Do they even know about this? Or was I the only one that was clueless that my girlfriend wanted to get away from me?

I don't know, maybe I'm just going crazy after seeing Allison hugging another guy. Maybe I overreacted a little, I mean, what kind of couple loves each other that much anyway?

The answer – us. I even feel a little bad for rejecting her nickname Sonny and now calling her Allison, unlike anyone else in the world.

This doesn't mean I'm not changing my plan. I haven't had a change of heart at all; I still know Allison loves Wisconsin more than California – and more than me. Fine, she can do whatever she wants, I don't control her.

"Chaddy?" I look up to see my little sister's innocent face staring up at me. "Is everything OK, Chaddy?"

_If only you knew, sweetheart. _"Yeah." I say, tired, "Everything's fine."

"Where's Mommy?"

I blink. Uh, what?"

"Sonny?" She corrects herself. I try to stop myself from crying in front of or out bursting at my 3 year old sister. It's not like she knows what Allison did to our family. Well, to me. Don't want to exaggerate.

"Uh…Sonny's back in the hotel." I say, "And…she's not your Mommy, OK? Melanie's gonna be your new Mommy."

Abby smiles, a few little teeth shining bright, "Is Sonny gonna be at the wedding and the reception?"

"Uh…yeah." I say, "But…we're not gonna be sat with her. I'm sitting with Daddy and Melanie on the big middle table, and you're with Josh and Sara and Gran and people like that." I cringe, trying my hardest to say her nickname, "…_Sonny_ will be sat with her family and some of her friends who were invited."

Abby frowns, "But I wanted to be with Sonny!" She pouts, and I sigh.

"Me too, Abby." I say, "Me too…" And I'm not talking about seating plans here.

I put Son… - ._Allison _to the back of my mind and smile a huge smile for my sister. Here's where my escape plan starts.

"Abby? Can you do me a really _really_ big favour? Think of it as a game? A big girl game?"

She nods excitedly. I know she loves it when I call her a big girl, she is growing up after all.

"Can you go find your bag with your clothes in it?"

She smiles, "Easily."

I laugh, "Ah, but to make the game harder, you have to do this with _no-one _seeing you, OK?"

"I can do that. She smiles, walking off in her 'big girl' walk, and I laugh.

"That's ma girl."

9:00am

After Abby got her bag (very sneakily) I packed her stuff in there, making sure no-one came in. Abby was my little guardian, watching the door and telling people who tried to come in that me and her were busy getting ready. I know that I'm taking advantage of my sister, but it's for our own good. So long as we can get out of this state as soon as possible, I don't care _who _I take advantage of. I just need to get out of here, right after that wedding.

"Chad?" Someone knocks on the door, and I hide the bag as my Dad enters. "There you are!" He says, "Get into your tux, we're going any minute now."

"OK, Dad." I say, rooting through my closet to find the tuxedo. I well up with tears when I see the note Allison left in the pocket.

_Hey! Have fun as the best man, remember, I love you! Sonny xxx_

Even in notes she was good at lying. Or maybe at that point she still loved me and didn't even think of staying in Wisconsin. After all, I did get that tux back in California.

Either way, the message is now dead to both of us.

After I'm changed into my tuxedo I leave with my Dad and the kids into a car to take us to the church for the wedding. I squeeze Abby's hand and she giggles, before falling asleep on my lap.

She looks adorable. Her hair is wavy and has a little lily in it, and her dress from back in California is a beautiful cream colour packed in a little bag ready for when she gets to Melanie's. My sister – the adorable one.

Even Josh looks somewhat presentable, wearing a tux that seems far too big for him. I ignore when he picks his nose, before almost gagging at him. OK, so he looked presentable 20 seconds ago.

And I must say, I do look pretty darn good. OK, so she's a liar, but Allison does have _really _good tastes in wedding clothing.

We drop off Abby where Melanie and the girls are staying, because she's a bridesmaid, and will need to be there with them. Aw, my little sister, the big girl.

We arrive at the church, hearts racing, as other people start to arrive. **(A/N: Now, sorry if I get anything wrong, because like with the ice-skating, I've never been a best man/groom at a wedding (duh) so I have no clue what happens. I was a bridesmaid, but that's it. One wedding, when I was six. I'll do my best though) **I feel around in my pocket to find the rings, and I smile when my palm connects with the little hoops of gold down there. My duty to keep them safe – never really thought I'd have to say that. As the vicar explains everything one last time, it all seems too much. Someday, I'll be stood in my Dad's position. Dunno who with though, not anymore at least. It's a shame that only two days ago, I was sure.

It's then when we're shown into the church.

Sonny's POV – 9:00am

I wake up to the sound of birds chirping on such a sweet day, and I smile. Melanie and Chris's wedding – and I'm a bridesmaid! I'm so excited! I watch as Sara shuffles about in the bed next to me, groaning. I understand her pain – getting up as a sixteen year old girl _is _torture.

"Sleep well?" I ask her, and she turns to face me. She nods, but yawns at the same time. Ah, morning yawns. I get a good look at her and realise something – she looks super tired. Maybe she's been excited all night and couldn't sleep. I know I would be like that if I hadn't been so tired after screaming my head off at the hockey match and stuffing my face with pizza afterwards.

I grin at her, "Let's go!"

We run down the stairs to where Melanie is sleeping with her Maid of Honour and another bridesmaid (her sisters) **(A/N: Sick-minded people, shut up) **and knock on the door. Melanie opens it, and she's grinning super hard. As hard as I was when I first woke. I then look at Melanie's older sister/the Maid of Honour – Emma – and laugh. She has the same expression as Sara did earlier – way too tired, but has no choice, and it just putting on her smile.

We spend hours getting changed, getting our hair styled and beautified. Chad drops off Abby, but doesn't talk to me. He doesn't even come in to see me. I guess he's still going with this little act that we're the ones getting married. I giggle at the thought.

At about midday, we're all ready. We have half an hour to get to the church. Melanie walks down the stairs, me and Sara holding up her train, Abby holding the flowers for her. Her Dad is here too, holding her hand tight. He's giving her away.

I wish my Dad was still alive to give me away when my wedding comes along. I guess I'll ask my Mom to do it. She's been with me this whole time, and I want her to be the one that hands me over from the Munroes to the Coopers.

I almost cry, but I stop myself (don't want to mess up my make-up before I see Chad) as Melanie's Dad moves a strand of hair from her face like she was a little girl going to her first day at school.

"Second time lucky." He grins, and she laughs.

"Trust me." She says, "This one _will _be different."

"At least you've known this one for a longer time." Her Dad sternly says, and she laughs.

"I was drunk, OK?"

I blink, "Drunk?"

"It was on a night out in Vegas." Melanie explains, "I just got married to the barman. I've changed though, I swear. I used to be alcoholic…Chris has changed me. A lot. I'm so thankful for him."

I smile, "You're not the only one who's thankful for a Cooper sweeping you off your feet."

She grins, "Of course. Chad." She says, "You have something special there, Sonny. Don't lose him."

"I won't." I say, "I promise."

"And remember." She says in the same tone as her father before, "I will be his new Mom, so if you do anything to harm him…"

"I won't!" I laugh, and she smirks.

"I know." She says, "I should be more worried about him hurting you."

I ignore that last bit.

I look out the window and grin. The church. Everyone's in there.

Melanie smiles, her eyes glistening with happiness, not tears.

"Here we go." She says, "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it." I say, getting out. I grab my little flower bouquet, giving Abby her little basket of petals, before getting out the car. I poke my head around the door to signal that we're there, and the vicar notices, asking everyone to stand. Here we go…

Chad's POV – 12:35pm

"Five minutes late!" Josh says, bored, and I sigh.

"Josh, its fine." I say, doubting a little myself, "Don't worry – they'll be here."

"And remember, Dad." He whispers into my Dad's ear, "It's not too late to back out."

I give him a glare and he shuts up.

"Don't worry, Dad." I say, "She'll be here."

As if by magic, at that moment, the vicar motions that Melanie is here. Dad smiles, standing up, and I stand to his right, checking for the last time that the rings are in my pocket.

…

"Looking for something?" Josh asks behind me, and I look to see him holding the rings. I snatch them off him and smile at my Dad, as if nothing's wrong.

He's not looking at me though. He's looking at the door. I turn too, just to see what everyone would be so intrigued at, every wedding.

Here it comes.

At that moment, Abby walks in, guided by another bridesmaid – one of Melanie's nieces, I think. Not Sara, though. Abby throws petals softly to the ground **(A/N: GLC watchers, like Charlie does when Bob and Amy get remarried) **and I admire how cute my little sister is.

Then the bride comes in, and you can hear her half of the room sigh in relief. I guess she's had a wedding before – and it failed. Good thing this one didn't – she'd be dead.

Behind her, a sight both lifts me up and knocks me down. Sara is holding the train, right next to Allison, and I gulp.

_Sonny_ looks beautiful. Her dress really is amazing – a creamy white, kind of like Melanie's. She's holding a small bunch of lilies in her hands, and she has one in her hair. She looks shy, excited, and I smile.

Then I remember what she did to me. Why did I even call her Sonny then? Sonny is dead to me, its Allison now. And I dislike Allison. A lot.

As the band ends the wedding march song, Melanie arrives. Dad smiles at her, and I smile too. Then I see Allison look my way and pretend I didn't see. This is my Dad's day, after all.

"Dearly beloved…"

* * *

**Vicar got a lot of lines, am I right? NO. I'm not.**

**Now since while talking to nangelgirl923 earlier, I promised a little preview of the next chapter. So here it is!**

_It's time for the reception!_

I take the Maid of Honour's arm in mine and walk her out, followed by Dad and Melanie. I could use this to make Allison jealous, but no. Coz this woman is just a biut older than Melanie. Ew...

_Three couples..._

_Channy..._

Sonny heads my way, and I look away. Too late. She's seen me.  
"Hey, Chad!" She smiles.  
Uh-oh...

_Chrelanie..._

Their first dance...so beautiful. I bet this couple will last. Unlike Channy. Unlike Sonny and Chad. Unlike any nickname you have for me and Sonny. ChadSon, whatever.

_And..._

_ and Callum? WTH?

_TOMORROW! :D_

**Awesome! So, I put _ and Callum because, well, I can't think of a combo name for these two, and I don't want to ruin the surprise!**

**See you tomorrow! Free for any guesses, suggestions for next chapter, anything.**

**Peace out! :D**


	22. The Wedding Part 2

**Heya guys. So I decided to split the wedding into THREE parts instead, to cause more suspense! :D I hope anyways...we shall see...**

**Dedication: ANOTHER DEDICATION! I enjoy these. This dedication goes to...CrazieeObsessed, for pMing me a lot. I'm having fun talking to you. And...ignore that grammar freak, coz you're awesome ;) and there's ur fave word :) AWESOME. There it is again. And I'm done.**

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**Chapter 22-The Wedding Part 2**

Chad's POV

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The vicar says, as Dad and Melanie turn to face each other. I hear a sniff behind me and smile. Weddings, don't ya love em?

"You may kiss the bride."

As Dad and Melanie kiss, the whole room outbursts in cheers and whoops. I clap the loudest I can, grinning. My second wedding (first was my Aunt Fiona. I was five) and it was beautiful. Josh looks bored, though, but happy. I guess he's proud of my Dad too. I just hope my Mom's happy up there.

Then I look over to where the bridesmaids sit and the mood goes sour. Allison is beaming…at me. I give her a shaky smile back, and she pouts.

"You OK?" She mouths, and I nod. (I'm lying) **(A/N: Those of you who watch The Middle, remember Brick and his weird whisper thing? ;)) **

It's then when we have to leave. Me and the Maid of Honour, then the newlyweds. I take the Maid of Honour's arm in mine and walk her out, followed by Dad and Melanie. I could use this to make Allison jealous, but no. Coz this woman is just a bit older than Melanie. Ew…

Next, pictures. The photographer gets us all together, taking just about a million random shots. About five of Dad and Melanie, then a few of me and some other people that I don't even know. Then all the bridesmaids. (Stupid Allison and her stupid-cute smile, it was brighter than the flash on the camera. No, that was not a compliment!)

Wow, when will a person need to see all these pictures again? This is so annoying! Hey, whatever. I agreed to give my Dad the best day ever, and here it is.

Then I have one picture with all the bridesmaids and the pageboys.

_They'd better not…_

"And since you two are a couple," He says, motioning to me and Allison, "Chad, if you step to the left just a bit. Sonny, snuggle up to him…that's it!"

_Damn you, photographer. _Allison hugs me tight, making a cutesy face, and I try my best to smile.

"Say Wisconsin cheddar!" The photographer smile.

Ugh. He couldn't have picked anything worse for us to say. What happened to the traditional just 'cheese'?

"Wisconsin cheddar!"

"You sure you're OK, Chad?" Sonny asks me, trying to smile and talk at the same time.

"Sure I am." I lie again, "I'm with you."

She grins even harder, and I roll my eyes. What did I see in that smile? Way too bright. _Shut up, jerk. _You shut up, voice in my head.

Great. Now I'm talking to myself. If that doesn't spell weirdo, I don't know what does. What has Allison done to me?

After the photos, the newlyweds travel to the hall for the reception, traditional horse and cart style. **(A/N: I rode one of those with my little brother when I was a bridesmaid for my Aunt and Uncle. Was LOLLAGE! Wanna do it again! Although, I was six…thought you'd wanna know that. Back to story.) **We all follow them up in cars and limos and whatever else we can stuff all the guests into. Luckily, I'm not with Allison for any of it. I start to think about my decision though. Is it right for me to just leave, taking Josh and Abby with me? Shall I just leave on my own? Or should I just not go at all and just confront Allison? I mean, I could've been wrong this whole time. Maybe I am being stupid.

I'll have to think about it. Hard.

We arrive at the Green Bay Hall **(dunno if it's real. I guess it would be though) **and I'm asked to help seat everyone. That's when I remember, crap, gotta do a speech. What to do, what to do…shall I use _Sonny's _grape joke? Uh…no. I'll think of something. Man, this is what I meant. I spent so much time with Sonny I forgot to write a speech. (OK, yeah, now I'm calling her Sonny again. Only till I figure out what I'm gonna do) Ah, I'll think of something in time…

It's funny I'd mention Sonny.

"Hey, look, there he is!" I hear a familiar voice say, and turn to see Sonny stood with her friends that were invited – Lucy and Maisie. They seem one short though…wasn't Callum invited? (Ugh)

Sonny heads my way, and I look away. Too late. She's seen me.

"Hey, Chad!" She smiles.

Uh-oh...

"Uh…hey Sonny." I say, grimacing a bit. I hope he doesn't notice it.

"I just wanna say, you did awesome as the best man." She grins. Kiss-up.

"Oh, really?" I ask, and she nods. "All I had to do was stand next to my Dad, hand the vicar the rings, then walk out and pose for cameras."

"And you did great!" Sonny laughs, "Now I just can't wait for that speech!"

_Yeah, thanks for reminding me._

"Well. I'll talk to you later, your seat's over there." I tell her, pointing to a table marked for the Munroes, Lucy, Maisie, and Callum.

"Thanks!" She grins, walking off with her friends. Ugh. This _is _annoying. She seems to be really having fun with her friends. I guess the only way I can be sure that she wants to stay here is if she has _fun_ with Callum, or admits that she wants to stay. Any sign of that, I'm out.

"…And that's why Melanie will never again eat green beans."

Melanie's Dad finishes his speech, somehow making us laugh with a crazy story about Melanie's childhood. Let's just say, I don't think I can repeat it, considering it was pretty gross. Not in the rude way though.

"And next up, we have a speech from the groom's son himself. America's very own number one teen actor, girls control yourselves, it's Chad Dylan Cooper!"

I tell my heart to slow down, as the crowd (I guess…) screams and I beam.

"Hey, everybody." I say.

"WE LOVE YOU, CHAD DYLAN COOPER!" A girl yells from the back, and I laugh.

"I love you, too!" I say, making her and her friends squeal. "So, as you just heard from a fan there, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper. Most of you would know me from a little show called Mackenzie Falls, or maybe my small role in Law School Musical." **(A/N: When he followed round Josh, the mailman) **"But today, for the first time in my life, things aren't about me. Coz we're all here to celebrate the wedding of my Dad, Chris Dylan Cooper, and his beautiful new wife, Melanie, now Cooper."

I look over to the Munroe's table, where Sonny is holding a grape, miming to it. I shake my head.

"Uh, so you know, you're not gonna hear any jokes from me, k? I'm not the funny kind of guy. I don't think I know anyone funny anyway…"

"OVER HERE!" Sonny yells, and I laugh.

"Oh yeah…"

I smile at Sonny, who smiles back, waving happily. She mouths softly 'Love you', making her hands shape the form of a heart, and mine flips. Tears of happiness are in her eyes, and I feel something change inside me. Kind of like the Grinch with the whole three times bigger heart, but I'm not a Grinch, k?

Sonny really does love me, what was I thinking all this time? A hug's a hug, sure, but a look like Sonny's giving me now, that's something else. That can only be described as a loving look. She really does love me, I'm sure. That's not acting.

"Uh…" I then remember I'm doing a speech. I realise what I want to say, in that moment.

"Recently, I've had my doubts about things. Love is an important thing, I know that. It can be so confusing, so hard, but if you are in love, you know it."

I know; deep. I focus on Sonny, who looks like she could cry, "I've learnt a lot of things about love recently. And one point of that is about how quickly it can strike. Like with my Dad and Melanie. It hasn't even been a year since they met, and at first I thought my Dad was crazy to propose so quickly. But, then something happened to me, and it showed me love is crazy, strange, and can hit in the weirdest places. I fell in love with my enemy – crazy, but it was true. I know that. Love is a beautiful thing, as people say _all _the time."

I laugh to myself at how different I sound, "Yep. Chad Dylan Cooper has been changed, people. Blame love."

I see Sonny grin, and I grin back.

"Love's done this to me. Turned me into a softy. It brought me and my girlfriend together in the craziest of ways. It's also brought my Dad and the beautiful Melanie together, and I'm sure this relationship will last. These two are great together."

I'm close to tears, "My family deserves a new mother, a good mother. I'm pretty sure that mother is Melanie. Like I said; love can bring anyone together. Also, like I said, nothing funny there. I'm gonna leave that to our little exploding ball of Sonshine over there."

Sonny blinks as Callum persuades her to stand up.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." I laugh, "You're the comedy expert here, right?"

She laughs, standing in front of me, holding her grape.

"H-Hey everyone." She stutters, slightly smiling, before lifting her grape and beaming like she does on So Random, "It's…_grape_…to see you!"

Uh-oh. Crickets in the building.

"Laugh and I'll give you all my autograph." I write on a piece of paper I conveniently and coincidentally have, and my obedient audience does as I ask. Sonny beams.

"Thank you!" She says, "I'll be here till Wednesday!"

I grin, "Ah, Sony Munroe." I say, "The girl who brought us Sicky Vicky, and the scandal that followed Sicky Vicky."

The crowd and Sonny laugh at the memory of Sonny's hell of a Hollywood anniversary extravaganza. **(A/N: Yeah, Chad says extravaganza now. Problem? Deal. Don't hate me though)**

"Well," I say, raising my glass, "I propose a toast, to the newlyweds, and all the other partners in the world that were brought together in crazy ways."

Sonny comes over and hugs me tight as I sign off, "To crazy love!"

"To crazy love!"

Dinner goes by great, and I don't stop smiling. I was wrong the whole time – leaving the state just because Sonny wanted to spend one measly day away from me was totally childish, and I regret everything cruel I said about her. Should I talk to her about it? Uh, dunno yet. What if she got mad? I don't know, maybe I'll save it…

"Hey."

I turn at the sound of a voice which I can only just hear over the loud music, but now I've seen who's talking I can only focus on her.

"Your speech was really sweet." Sonny says, beaming, "Really moving."

"Thanks." I smile, before hugging her tight, burying her face into my shoulder.

"Whoa!" She laughs, not struggling, "What was that for?"

I wipe a tear from my face before pulling away from the hug, "I'm just…lucky to have you." I say, "And sometimes I forget that."

She looks deep into my eyes and sighs, "What happened, Chad? Why are you going all deep on me?"

"Long story." I shrug, saying it more like a question than an answer.

She smiles, "Explain it if you want."

I shake my head, "I don't wanna bore you." I say, before dragging her onto the dance floor, smiling. We dance like idiots to numerous songs, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Demi Lovato, even Justin Bieber. Only coz Sonny's a total Belieber. I personally dislike the guy, but hey, anything for my Sonshine.

Yep, I was being stupid. Right here, right now, this is perfect. I now know that I was wrong. Sonny really is perfect for me, and I'm perfect for her.

Like I said, it's crazy what love can do for you.

* * *

**YAY! They all happy! But...wedding's not over yet, now is it? Tune in for more! (I feel like that guy who announces stuff on Pokemon shows who always says "stay tuned to find out" at the end of every episode. No, I don't watch Pokemon, I have people who watch it for me (aka my brother))**

**REVIEW! :D**


	23. The Wedding Part 3

**Heya guys! Are you ready for the final part of The Wedding? Of course you are. If not, you are now. lol ;)**

**WARNING: This episode contains slight T rated themes (alcohol, the words 'hell' and 'fricken''), but it's only this chapter. I don't think I need to change the rating for the whole story for that, do I? If I do, someone tell me and I will. KK, read! :D**

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**Chapter 23-The Wedding Part 3**

Chad's POV

"And that was Get Back by Demi Lovato!" The MC yells as me and Sonny hug after yet another dance. Does this guy have my journal? He's played, like, every 'Channy' (if you like) moment in history. When I wanted to ask her out, it kinda fit with 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift, 'Get Back' really fits from when we broke up (from my point of view) and he also played 'Kiss Me' by Tawni Hart (that one's pretty self-explanatory).

Then I feel a pat on my back. Ouch. Whoever this is, they have one hard pinch. I turn to see who could possibly cause CDC pain (and remember boys and girls, CDC is no longer the egoistic one, according to Sonny Munroe, so this also means saying I am CDC is not big-head. Though I'd point that out…moving on).

"OMC!" The girl yells (once again, no big-headedness, she _does_), and I smile. "You really _are _him!"

I laugh, "And, uh, pinching my back told you that?"

She grins, "Sorry. I'm Sienna, a big fan."

I smile at her, "Nice to meet you, Sienna."

"Could you maybe come with me and meet my friends?" She asks, hinting over to a bunch of girls who wave over-excitedly at me, "They so wanna meet you!"

I sigh, "You know what, fine." I say, before turning to Sonny, "I'll be right back."

"OK." She smiles, "Be as long as you need to be."

I follow Sienna to be mobbed by a gaggle of freaky fans. Well, I don't see how things can get any better/worse.

Sonny's POV

Chad walks off, following these fan-girls, and I laugh watching him. Ah, my boyfriend, way too popular for eighteen years old. He enjoys it, though. And if he's happy, I'm happy.

I can't help thinking about how he was acting earlier though, he seemed slightly… upset. Shaken, if you like. I hope everything's OK. Maybe it's just the build-up to this wedding has been tough on him.

But, he seems fine now. And if Chad Dylan Cooper is fine, there is a 99.96% chance that Sonny Munroe is also fine. And she is.

My thoughts are disturbed by a somewhat drunk sounding cry. Well, we knew it was gonna happen.

"SONN-AY!"

I turn to see Lucy, Maisie and Callum heading my way. It seems Maisie is the only one who's been drinking, which is weird, considering she's a total good-girl. She's a whole lot like me – I'd never drink, well, not over-drink, never smoke, never do anything like that. Neither would Maisie, usually. Then again, it's a party, who am I to stop her?

"You and your boyfriend seem pretty happy." Lucy says, and I sigh.

"Could you possibly call him by his _name_?" I ask, and she rolls her eyes a little.

"Fine," She says, before making the same face as before, "You and _Chad _seem pretty happy."

"We are." I say, looking over to where Chad stands, talking to a gaggle of crazy teens.

"And, you're going back to California on Wednesday, right?" Callum asks.

"…Right."

Lucy sighs, "We sure will miss you."

"But you guys remember, you are my friends, any time you need me, you call."

They all smile, even Maisie, considering her state. I laugh when being crushed in a huge hug.

"So, how about we have one last…celebration?" Lucy asks, lifting a small glass filled with some kind of liquid, and I smile. One little drink won't hurt, besides, I'm eighteen now. I can do whatever I want, as long as I'm careful, I guess.

Lucy hands me a glass and we all smile, clicking them together before taking a large slurp. I cough a little – my first drink. But hey, it was quite nice.

…Maybe I'll have another…

Chad's POV

"You really are awesome!" Sienna's best friend, Angel, says. For the fifth time, I'm sure. Yes, I've been counting.

"Thanks, guys." I say, "But I gotta go now. I might see you later."

"K!"

The girls run off, squealing quietly, and I chuckle quietly. Ah, fans. One of the many things Sonny has taught me to appreciate.

Heading back to where me and Sonny were just dancing, I can't find her. Huh, weird. instead, I bump into Sara.

"Sara!" I say, rubbing my arm that just hit her, remembering I haven't yet told her that the plan is off.

"Hey!" She says, "Uh, when are you leaving?"

"About that," I say, "Turns out, I was wrong the whole time. Sonny really does love me."

"Aw!" She puts her hands to her heart, smiling like she's watching a rom-com. "That's so cute!"

"It is." I laugh, before noticing Sonny with her friends, who are no longer a threat to me. "I gotta go, see you later?"

"OK," She says, waving me off. I smile, heading straight over to Sonny but stopping in my tracks when I see a glass of some kind of wine in her hand. Huh, Sonny drinks? Wow, didn't expect that. Maybe it's just coz it's a wedding. Yeah, she deserves to know what that feels like. As long as she doesn't get _too _drunk.

I start moving again, only to stop once more when she suddenly yells out, "OK, Wisconsin _is _my favourite state, happy? And yes, I wish I'd never left!"

All her friends laugh as she hugs Callum tight, and suddenly, my world tumbles down again. A slow song comes on, the MC saying that the couple's first dance is about to start, and Sonny hugs Callum, starting to slow dance with him.

"Chad?" I hear a voice say behind me, and turn to see Sara stood there, holding a phone.

"You dropped your phone when you bumped into me…Chad, is everything OK? You look really upset."

I scowl, taking my phone off of her, and in lone swift, quiet sentence, I say, "Plans back on. I'll call you when I'm out."

"Oh…" She frowns, "Why?"

"Sonny can have Callum," I say, ignoring her last comment, "I mean, look at them."

I show her where Sonny and Callum are dancing close, and she gasps.

"Whoa…"

"Just don't let her follow me." I remind her, and she smiles softly.

"Anything for my new big cousin."

I smile sadly, "Thanks, Sara."

"You're welcome, Chaddy."

It's then when I walk off into the crowd, to find Josh and Abby, because we need to get out of here. Now.

Nobody's POV

Chad runs off to find Josh and Abby, distraught. He just couldn't believe it – his Sonny…and Callum? He loved her, and she betrayed him, abandoned him…for Callum? And to think, he actually thought he had been ridiculous to believe Sonny's affections for her were fake, but now he knew he was right from the beginning. Well, she could have her new Prince Charming, coz he was out of there, fast.

Little did poor Chad know, these thoughts were wrong. Sonny hadn't been really in love when she looked into Callum's eyes. She had taken place in a bet with a bunch of slightly drunken friends, she had barely drunk. Only one, when she ordered her second she remembered the dangers of drinking and gave it straight back to the waiter.

When her drunken friends announced a game of truth or dare, she could not resist. After all, Sonny does love a harmless game of Truth or Dare. She didn't realise how much harm it would cause.

"OK, Sonny…" Lucy had said, using her best friend to stand, "I dare you to…dance with Callum and say Wisconsin is your favourite state and you wish you'd never left!"

Sonny frowned, "But…that's not true."

"It's a dare, Sonny, relax!" Maisie smiled.

"It's _two _dares," Sonny corrected her friend, "To dance with Callum _and _to say Wisconsin was my favourite state."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaassee?" The two tipsy girls begged their friend, and she gave up. After all, it was just a harmless game of Truth or Dare.

She hugged Callum, before yelling, "OK, Wisconsin _is _my favourite state, happy? And yes, I wish I'd never left!"

Her friends cheered happily, chinking their glasses, before a slow song – Chris and Melanie's first dance – came on, and Sonny began the second half of her bet. She danced with Callum (who was also not drunk, as his grandmother died of too much drinking), her friends pushing her closer. This is when Chad left, fuming.

After being pushed closer once again, Sonny started to get mad, leaving her drunken friends and searching for her anger love of her life. When she noticed him looking lost, sad, she headed his way. This is when Chad had to take his skills of improvising to the test.

Chad's POV

I look around for my siblings, who seem to have disappeared into thin air. Damn. How come the things you need you can never find?

I walk past the dance floor, where I see Dad and Melanie, in the middle of the dance floor, holding each other close while dancing slowly. Their first dance...so beautiful. I bet this couple will last. Unlike Channy. Unlike Sonny and Chad. Unlike any nickname you have for me and Sonny. ChadSon, whatever. I honestly don't care anymore. Sonny took my heart and trampled on it with her stupid-cute shoes, and I hate her for that. All I know is, I don't want to see her again.

Yeah, well, too bad.

"Chad!" I hear someone familiar call my name. No…I can't talk to her…not now…

"Sonny?"

She smiles at me, not looking as drunk as she did before.

"Where you been? It's getting fun in there! A little crazy, but I guess it's a party."

I nearly yell out, _Get away from me, you creep! I never want to see you again! _But I refrain myself. I need to seem completely fine.

"Are you OK, Chad?" She asks me, and I sigh.

"I'm fine," I say, "I just heard Abby was crying earlier, I was thinking of taking her and Josh home early. They both seem super tired."

She nods, "Well, it is getting late…what's the time?"

"Uh…" I look at my watch, "…Quarter to eleven."

"Whoa!" Sonny laughs, "Time flies when you have fun, huh?"

_It flies even faster when you're drunk._

I smile sadly, "I'd better go…see ya."

"Can you come back to pick me up at the end of the party?" She asks.

"Yeah." I lie.

"Great, see ya." She says, smiling.

"Bye."

She hugs me tight and I frown behind her back, before noticing Josh and Abby together, and I run up to them, trying to smile.

"Hey, guys," I say, "Look, you guys look pretty tired, Dad wants me to take you home."

"I'm not tired!" Josh protests, his little lie being revealed when he yawns. I sigh.

"C'mon, let's go."

I pick up Abby, and Josh follows me along. I then grab my phone and call a number to get a cab. I'll get my Dad to send back the car or something, I just wanna get out of here.

Abby is asleep on my shoulder sooner or later, and Josh is getting impatient.

"Why do we have to wait for a stupid cab?" He asks.

"Coz I left the rented car at Melanie's." I answer. That actually is the truth – we probably would've had to leave in a cab anyway. Just instead, now we're leaving a little early.

Finally, the cab arrives. I sit Abby on my lap in the back of it, Josh sitting in the seat next to me.

"The nearest airport, please." I tell the driver, and he turns back, before smiling.

"You're Chad Dylan Cooper!"

"That's me," I say, expressionless, before repeating, "Airport, please."

"Of course," He says, "Let's go…"

Josh frowns a little, "We're not going back to Melanie's…are we?"

My face falls, the fake smile finally fading.

"No." I say, "We're not. We're going home."

"But what about Sonny?" Josh asks me, and I scowl at the name.

"I don't care about Sonny." I say.

No-one talks after that.

About 10 minutes into the ride, I remember I need to call Sara. I try, but she doesn't answer. Maybe she can't hear me, over the music. Instead, I send her a text.

_Hey, Sara. just to tell you, I'm out. I'm heading to the airport. Remember – I don't want Sonny to know where I'm going. I can't believe when I saw her dancing with Callum…oh well, guess she loves him, not me. Oh, yeah, I'm ranting now, right? haha, I've gotta go, we're at the airport now. See ya, talk when I get to Cali. Chad x_

I then turn off my phone, coz we arrive at the airport and I won't need it for a while.

This is it. New start, without Sonny. And I'm ready for it.

CDC is back, and he's ready for whatever life throws at him.

Sonny's POV

I'm stood outside the reception, waiting for Chad.

Wow, tonight was awesome. OK, so my friends got drunk, but I had fun. I wish Chad had been around for more of it, but if his siblings were tired, he should go home with them. He's such a caring brother. He'll make a good dad some day.

Thing is, I found a phone on the floor. Maybe someone dropped it. Huh. Oh well. Tomorrow I'll find out who's phone it is, then return it to them.

Suddenly, the phone rings. Huh, a text. It reads 'From Chad'. Huh, Chad? Maybe that's my Chad…I take a sneak at the text, hoping it _is _my Chad. OK, I'm looking into other people's business, but if it's Chad saying why he's late, I want to know.

_Hey, Sara. _

Oh, so it's Sara's phone…

_Just to tell you, I'm out. I'm heading to the airport. Remember – I don't want Sonny to know where I'm going. I can't believe when I saw her dancing with Callum…oh well, guess she loves him, not me. Oh, yeah, I'm ranting now, right? haha, I've gotta go, we're at the airport now. See ya, talk when I get to Cali. CDC x_

CDC…Chad…Sonny…Sara…this is Chad. He saw me dancing with Callum! Oh no! he must've thought I was cheating on him and wanted to get away from me asap. I take a ride with Chris and Melanie, explaining what's going on, and they let me in their car right away.

"Don't worry, Sonny," Chris says, "It's a misunderstanding – Chad's just doing before he thinks. When he thinks, he'll realise that everything was a mix-up."

I sure hope so. I'm so worried…Chad thought I was dancing with Callum for the fun of it, to cheat on him…it was all a bet though! I uncontrollably start crying, and Melanie, who's sat in the back with me in case of this exact moment, pats me on the back.

"Don't worry, sweetie," She says, wiping a tear from my eye, "We'll sort this."

"This is ridiculous," Chris moans, "I'm gonna call him."

He puts on his hands-free **(A/N: Asked my Dad for that. If it's not called that in America, oops) **and calls Chad's number. Chad won't answer, and Chris groans, cussing quietly.

"I don't need this right now."

"I'm sorry, Mr Cooper…and Mrs Cooper…"

"It's fine, honey," Melanie says, "We'll sort this, OK?"

I nod, sniffing a little.

"Chad!" Chris yells, "Where the hell are you? Sonny's distraught about what you sent Sara – you'd better not get on any plane. Call me back and explain this now, or you'll be grounded."

He leaves the message, and the second he does, someone rings him.

_"Dad?"_

It's Chad.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, where the hell are you?" Chris yells.

"_I'm busy, Dad_," He says, "_Our flight is any minute now_."

"_Our _flight?" Chris asks, "Who's with you?"

"_Abby and Josh_." Chad simply replies.

"Chad, Sonny is with us now, she's distraught. Please, talk to her!"

"_Dad, I've gotta go._" He says, and I hold in cries of the fact that Chad doesn't want to talk to me.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, don't you dare get on the plane or you're grounded."

"_I'm fricken eighteen!" _Chad yells, "_I know what I'm doing. Tell Sonny I'm sorry, but I can't be with her anymore._"

"Chad!" I yell, slightly happy when I realise he can hear me.

"_Sonny?_" He asks.

"It's me."

"_I've have something to tell you_."

I gasp back tears, "Anything."

He pauses, before saying softly, quietly, "_We're over. I can't date you anymore._"

I start to gasp tears, "No, Chad, please, let me explain…"

I hear a voice in the background, telling people that a flight is soon to leave.

"_There's nothing to explain,_" Chad says, "_I'm sorry, I have to go. Goodbye Sonny."_

He then hangs up, and I cry out endless tears. I can't believe it…I made some stupid mistake…now Chad's done with me.

Melanie hugs me softly, but the tears don't stop.

"Ssh…" She says, "Calm down Sonny, everything will be OK."

I know she believes it less than me. I need to talk to Chad about it, make him understand. I just…I can't let it be over. It _can't _be over.

Chad's POV

I hang up, tears stinging in the back of my eyes, even though I know I'm doing the right thing. Sonny doesn't need me, so I don't need her. And that's fine. I'll be fine.

I drag Josh and Abby to the plane, surprised when I hear Abby babble, "I want Sonny."

I sigh, "Me too, sweetie," I say, "Me too."

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**:O**

**UNEXPECTED! :'(**

**Tell me ya thoughts! What will Sonny do? Will Chad come to his senses (again)? Will Channy reform?**

**Find out soon...if you review! :D**


	24. Following Chad and Forgetting Sonny

**Heya, guys! Having fun in the lovely English sunshine (or sonshine) of today, wishing I didn't have to go back to school tomorrow. This means I won't be able to update much after today, because I have revision for exams that are coming up soon. I also have homework etc, etc...but hey! One last day of nice fun updates! Whoo! I hope...**

**BTW: I got a joke (I hope) death threat last chapter unless I get Sonny and Chad back together some time. Well, whoever that was, don't kill me until the end of the story. Heck, if I don't bring them together by the end of this story, I'll kill myself :P You shall see though, where my pre-plsnned path leads up to...**

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**Chapter 24-Following Chad and Forgetting Sonny**

Sonny's POV

We arrive back at Melanie's as soon as we can. I can barely see what's going on, the tears are fogging up my view.

I just can't believe it. Chad really thought that I didn't love him anymore? He thought I loved Callum and Wisconsin more than him. What made him think that way?

Well, I suppose I have been spending a lot of time with them the past few days. And I hugged Callum and danced with him and yelled out to that whole reception that I wished I'd never left Wisconsin, and that would mean I'd have never met Chad. He must've been distraught to hear that.

But then, why didn't he just talk to me about it? I could've explained that it was a bet, explained that I was only hanging with my friends because I missed them…it's then when I remember the look in Chad's eye before he made his speech. He seemed like he couldn't stand being near me. If I'd had noticed that I would've asked him what was wrong, and maybe he'd have told me and I could've explained everything.

But now…now it's too late.

Or…maybe not.

I fish Sara's phone out of my pocket, and read the text once more. Maybe it can give me some clues as to what's really going on.

_Just to let you know, I'm out. I'm heading to the airport. Remember – I don't want Sonny to know where I'm going. __I can't believe when I saw her dancing with Callum…oh well, guess she loves him, not me. Oh, yeah, I'm ranting now, right? haha, I've gotta go, we're at the airport now. See ya, talk when I get to Cali. CDC x_

All this points to one thing – Sara knew, all along. Maybe that's why she was in mine and Chad's room, using his bed. Chad had told her what had happened and he didn't want to see me, so he asked Sara to sleep in his bed instead of being there himself. He must've told her everything…

At that moment, Sara walks in. She scowls when she sees me.

"_Sonny._" She spits.

"Sara, please let me explain," I say, "It was all a bet. I really didn't want to hurt your cousin, I promise."

"Well, you did." She says, "It's too late now. You hurt him – now he's gone."

"Did you know about this the whole time?" I ask her, and she sighs.

"Chad told me the other night that you preferred Wisconsin to California…and Callum to him," She explains, "He seemed so…angry, upset, he couldn't believe you'd betrayed him. You really hurt him."

I sigh, "I know! Just tell me – where do you think he might have gone? Back home? To California?"

"Most definitely," She says, "He told me he just wanted things to go back to the way they were before, coz it seemed you wanted it that way too."

"But I didn't." I say, and she smiles.

"I hoped you'd say that," She says, "You're a nice girl, Sonny Munroe – I was amazed when Chad said you were cheating on him."

I smile, "Thanks." I say, "So…are you coming with me? To get Chad back? I need to go make sure he's OK…make him understand…"

"I'll help you." She says, "If he doesn't listen to you _and _me, then we're stuffed."

I smile, "We need to walk to the hotel. Chad's rented car is most likely still there. We'll drive it to the airport and find a flight to LAX. OK?"

"Sure," She says, "Nice quick planning."

She winks, and I smile.

"Let's go!"

We arrive at the hotel, me running, Sara only just keeping up behind.

"Why are you running?" She yells, "It's not like Chad's gonna disappear forever if you don't get there now!"

"For me he will!" I scream back, before reaching the car. I pull at the door but then realise it's locked. Great. Then, I find the key to our room in my pocket and run up to it, unlocking the car and finding the car keys there. I sprint back down the stairs and out of the hotel (the guy at the desk must think I'm crazy) before opening the car door. Sara, not yet having her driver's license, gets in the passenger's seat and I get in the drivers seat, revving the engine and driving off.

I then ask Sara to check the airport times on her phone.

"There's a flight to LAX at eight thirty," She says, "And it's…seven now." **(A/N: Yes, it's early morning. They got back at about two in the morning from the wedding, remember?)**

"OK then," I say, "If we go just a little faster, we can make it."

I press down on the accelerator, getting faster and faster. I _need_ to make that plane.

"Sonny, you're speeding!" Sara yells, but I don't care. I slow down the car a little (I don't want to get a ticket) but continue to go fast, as long as I can get to that flight.

We get to the airport, get on the plane, and head straight for LA. Luckily, thanks to the slight speeding, we just made it. it was good we had no luggage to bring or anything, just ourselves and our purses.

Sara calls Chad, every few minutes, while the stewardesses aren't looking. Let's just say if anything goes wrong with this plane, it will most likely be on our heads. When Sara runs out of credit, I try to call him. Doesn't work. Maybe he's just ignoring us. I hide my caller ID, hoping maybe he'll answer since he doesn't know it's me.

He does so.

"Hello?"

"Chad?" I breathe happily.

"Sonny?" He moans quietly, "Who's phone are you using?"

"Mine."

He pauses, confused, "Then why didn't the caller ID come up?"

I sigh, "No time for that, Chad." I say, "I need to talk to you about what happened."

"No, you don't." He says, "I saw it clearly for myself. Look, I know you like Callum. It's OK. Stay in Wisconsin, it's fine."

"Chad, I…"

"Chad?" I hear a voice say in the background, "We're gonna need you on set."

I blink, "You're back at Condor Studios? It's ten in the morning! You're never this early."

Chad sighs, "Sonny, I gotta go. Just…don't call me again. Please."

He hangs up and I try to hold back the tears.

"What did he say?" Sara asks.

"He said he doesn't want me calling again." I say, and she smiles. "Uh…what?"

"But he didn't say you can't come visit him, right?"

I smile, "Right."

"So don't lose hope," She says, "You can still get back to him. We'll do this. We'll find him. I promise."

I grin, "Thanks Sara," I say, "I just sure hope you're right."

Sara grins at me as the pilot tells us we're soon to land. We strap our seatbelts on, an old lady next to us giving us each boiled sweets to stop our ears popping, and with a bump, we begin out dissent into sunny California once again.

Chad's POV

After I hang up on Sonny, I head straight to rehearsal. I just want to do something to get her out of my head. Maybe working on Mackenzie Falls will make me forget a little.

"_Devon?" Mackenzie yells at his half-brother, who's holding the girl he loves around the waist. He pulls her close and she smiles. Chloe was cheating on Mackenzie._

Wait…Chloe was cheating on Mackenzie? Wow, talk about de ja vu. At least I can act this well if I've already experienced it.

_Devon notices Mackenzie looking his way, hurt and pain in his eyes, and he grins. He knows that if he can hurt Mackenzie bad enough, he'll be too weak to protect the Falls anymore, leaving a space wide open for him to come and take it. Well, it sure was working._

This so reminds me of something…besides the Falls plotline.

"_Chloe?" Mackenzie yells, hoping she can explain that this is nothing, just a stupid misunderstanding. _

_She looks his way, and her heart breaks when she sees Mackenzie and the hurt in his eyes. This wasn't the plan. Ever since she'd asked Devon for help with her A-minus in Math problem, she knew she owed him. This meant she ended up having to ditch Mackenzie's offer of taking her to the dance, saying she was ill and going with Devon instead. Mackenzie had told her he'd be busy that night, since he would only go if Chloe went._

_Of course, Penelope had to get involved _(they had a new actress playing Penelope, since the character was still part of it even though the previous actress Marta tried to kill Sonny all that time ago…sniff…Sonny…)_. She convinced Mackenzie to go with her, just as friends. Now he'd seen Chloe and Devon together, she was sure he'd dump Chloe for her instead. _

_It didn't happen that way. Instead of retaliating and dancing with Penelope instead, Mackenzie headed straight for the door. Chloe wasn't gonna let him go just yet though._

"_Mackenzie," She yells, but he won't turn back. He no longer trusts her, he isn't gonna listen. She didn't know that, though, and she didn't want it to be true. "Mackenzie!"_

_She drags back her love, whose eyes are burning with tears of pain, anger._

"_Leave me alone, Chloe," He says, "You have Devon now."_

Wow. I know the guy's pain.

"_You don't understand." She shakes her head, exasperated. "I had to…I owed Devon." _

_She dramatically faces Devon, who smiles at the fact that his plan was working well. She faces Mackenzie next where the anger seems to have faded and been replaced with just sadness._

"_Owed him for what?" He asks, and Chloe sighs. It's time – she needs to tell him the truth._

"_Back when we got our grades…you got all A-pluses?" _

_Mackenzie nods, confused, and Chloe continues._

"_Well, I got an A-minus, in Math," She admits, shyly shuffling her feet. Mackenzie blinks._

"_But…you got an A-plus…I saw it!"_

_Chloe sighs, "I made a deal with Devon. He changed it into an A-plus, and I owed him. So, this was me paying him back."_

_Mackenzie smiles sadly, taking the girl he loves' hands in his, "Chloe, I love you. You're perfect no matter what results you get."_

_Chloe smiles, before her forgiving boyfriend kisses her lightly. This was all she had to do – tell the truth. _

So, basically, I just tried to forget Sonny…that just reminded me of her more. Although, it's not like the second part is true for us. Chloe had a reason, an excuse, Sonny has no excuse. Not that I know of though…Oh, who am I kidding? Its obvious Sonny had no excuse. Or am I the one being ridiculous? No, of course not…I saw her, didn't I?

I head to my dressing room, that scene haunting me. If only Sonny had an excuse like Chloe's.

"Ow!"

I bump into something on my mad rush to my dressing room, or some_one_. More specifically…

"Sonny?"

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**:O**

**Review!**

**Random note - I think I'll just randomly tell you what song I'm listening to during updates now. In...LYRIC FORM! So for today...**

Baby, I'm hanging, hanging on for you, that's where it is, go 'bout my business, hanging, hanging on for you, and you'll be mine in future time, it's true-ue-ue-ue** (Hanging, Sterling Knight) [Just typed in Sterling Knighty by accident, then deleted it :P]**


	25. Driven Away

**Heya! New chapter, courtesy of nangelgirl923's nagging (jokes honey), here it is!**

**Warning: Channy fight...please forgive me for some of the things Chad and Sonny say to each other. I tried to balance it out, but I think Chad is harsher than Sonny...well, off you read...**

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**Chapter 25-Driven Away**

Sonny's POV

We arrive at Condor Studios at around three o'clock, parking in the space marked '_reserved for Sonny Munroe_'. I get out of the car and head up to the studio, Sara following closely behind.

"So, where do we go to look for Chad?" Sara asks me.

"Uh…Chad's usually on his break around now. That means he'll either be at his dressing room, or in the cafeteria."

Sara nods, "OK, then. You check the cafeteria, I'll try his room."

"Call me if you find him." I tell her, before remembering she has no credit, "Uh…call me on _his _phone." I say, hoping Chad won't have deleted my number from his contacts already.

I head straight to the cafeteria, upset when I realise Chad isn't around. I see his cast-mates sat at their table, but decide not to interfere and ask them where he is – if he's told them that'll cause an inferno. Even if he hasn't, it'll cause an inferno. I guess I'll just have to look for him myself.

On the way out, I bump into someone. I think to myself 'sorry' (what's the use in that?) before looking up to see who I've hit.

"Sonny?"

I look up, heart racing at the familiar voice. I then notice the person I've bumped into has blonde hair…

**(A/N…But it's not who you'd think. Gotcha! :D I hope…)**

"Sonny!"

Tawni grins and I notice I've bumped into her, along with the rest of my cast. I grin happily.

"Guys!" They pull me in for a hug, even Tawni (surprisingly), "It's so great to see you!"

"You too!" Grady laughs.

"So…" Tawni gives me a '_tell me'_ look and says, "How was the big wedding? How was your dress? Was it pretty? Was it a good day for it?"

I laugh, "You make it sound like _I _was the bride." I say, and they laugh.

"Don't be stupid, Sonny," Zora says.

"We know you too love-birds have something going on. I bet he'll propose any day now!" Tawni squeals, "To say the truth, when you get over the rivalry you two are perfect together!"

I blink, "Seriously? You're OK with me and Chad?"

They nod, Tawni somewhat over-excited.

"I wish Chad felt the same." I mumble, and they all frown.

"What?" Nico asks.

"Chad though I was cheating on him with my ex-boyfriend." I explain, "And that I never wanted to come to California in the first place, and that I loved Wisconsin the most. But I only said it for a dare! And the same with the whole cheating thing – it was all a misunderstanding!"

Tawni's smile turns upside-down. Her thoughts on Chad seem to have changed dramatically once again – from, '_aw, so cute_', to '_UGH! That creep!_'

"That dirty little weasel!" She yells, turning her back on me and storming off, and I sigh. Great. Tawni's gonna get involved. Things never end well when Tawni gets involved.

After bumping into my friends, I head straight to Chad's dressing room. If he's not there, then I give up. Where else does Chad hang? Exactly. He'd better be here…

Ouch! While ignoring where I was going, I think I bumped into someone. I look up to apologize to them, but my heart does a cartwheel when I see who I hit.

"Sonny?"

"Chad?"

I smile when I see him, "Funny bumping into you!"

Chad finds it far from amusing though.

"What are you _doing _here?" He scowls, "I told you not to come here."

"Not true!" I say, "You told me not to _call _you."

"Oh, just stop it, Sonny."

I blink, "Stop what?"

"Your stupid innocent act, OK? I can see right through it."

I step back. To be honest, I never though I'd hear him say anything like that to me.

"Chad, I want to explain something to you…" I say, but he interrupts me.

"No, Sonny," He says, "I don't wanna hear it."

I groan, "Will you stop that?"

"What?" He yells.

"Just…that!" I reply, "Acting like you're too cool to know or care. Being that _stupid _CDC character of yours."

His scowl turns into a frown, "I'm _not _acting." He says, his volume in his voice building up, "And it's not a character! It's me!"

"Oh, really?" I say, "Coz the real you wouldn't be such an _idiot. _The real Chad would listen to what I have to say. But no! All you care about is your stupid acting and your reputation! I bet you never even really cared about me in the first place! You were just pretending you were!"

"Was not!" He yells, before his face falls a little, now he just looks scared, "I really did love you, and you threw that away. You know how heart-broken I was when I saw you and Callum together? You know what I thought?"

"It was a stupid bet!" I yell.

"Yeah, I believe that." He says, and I growl.

"Will you stop it, Chad? Stop it right now!"

"I. Will. Not." He says, and I frown.

"Fine," I say, "Then we're over."

I walk away, head high, before Chad yells in a high-pitch voice, "We already _were_ over!"

"I _don't _care!" I scream back, before heading straight for my car.

When I get there, I sigh. I slump in the seat, almost crying. I won't though. Chad Dylan Jerk-face isn't worth it. At this point, Sara arrives.

"Hey, Sonny. Did you find…Sonny?"

I look up.

"What happened?"

I laugh humourlessly, "Chad and I had a huge fight…that's it, I think. There's no way we'll get back together now."

She frowns, "I'm sorry, Sonny."

"Don't be," I say, "I'm better off without that weasel…" I then put on my best fake smile for her, "Hey, we should get you back to Wisconsin. I'll drive you, OK?"

She smiles in the same fake way that I did. "Sure."

Chad's POV

I get home, groaning, collapsing onto the couch with a thud and ignoring the TV blaring at me. Something, or someone, is pulling at my jeans leg, and when i look, i see Abby. I smile sadly, picking her up off the floor and onto my lap. She giggles, hugging me tightly.

"Heya, my good girl," I say, mentally slapping myself for thinking for a sec that Sonny isn't good. I don't know anymore. After what I said to her, she'll never come back, even if i wanted her to. I hug Abby softly, being so tired, and it turns out we both end up sleeping right there for the night.

_I blink, feeling tired as I wake up, rubbing my eyes. I feel something on my lap and feel weird about it until I remember Abby's there. I look down to see my sister but jump when I see Abby isn't there, rather, a little girl with the same blonde hair, blue eyes...who is she?_

_"She's adorable, isn't she?" A voice says, and I look up to see my Mom stood there. She's back. I smile, until I notice she isn't. I then remember, she told me she wouldn't come back unless I was doing something wrong. Hey, she's like my guardian angel..._

_"She is..." I say, "But...who is she?"_

_"Her name is Rebecca." Mom explains lightly, "And she will no longer exist."_

_"What do you mean?" I ask. At that moment, I hear another voice. A familiar one._

_"Chad? Oh, good, you're awake again."_

_I turn to see the owner of the voice, and my heart flips when i see an older, and pregnant, Sonny Munroe._

_I blink. Sonny…pregnant? Well, she does look older…but, whose baby is it? _**It's yours, you idiot. **_…No comment._

_I jump up from the couch, blinking, just to see if I'm dreaming this…well, I am, but you see my point._

"_Chad, honey?" Sonny says, heading my way. I step back a little. "Is everything OK?"_

_I gulp, asking myself that question too. My head suddenly starts to ache as I try to get my head round everything. Sonny, , pregnant, baby, Mom…_

"_Chad?" Sonny repeats, sounding worried, "Is everything OK? Do I need to get an ambulance? Chad, please talk to me. I'm worried about you."_

_Over the blood pounding in my ears, my heart beating like a drum, I realise something. Sonny…is worried about me? After what I said? Ugh, I just don't know. I seriously think I need to lie down._

_I sit on the couch, holding my head in my hands._

"_Chad?"_

_I look up at a sad-looking Sonny, frowning at me. "Chad, if you need something, anything, I'll get it for ya – I'm not completely worthless while pregnant. I'll go get the phone, call an ambulance…"_

_Well, nice to know that is a baby and Sonny hasn't just got incredibly fat. What am I saying? Sonny would never get fat._

"_No!" I say, stopping her, "I'm feeling better. You just sit down."_

_Sonny collapses into the couch, groaning in points, and I help her down. She smiles at me. "Thank you, Chad."_

"_You're welcome." I say, before looking over to the calendar, where I see the date is 21__st__ February 2018, seven years forward exactly. There's a mirror next to it and I look at my reflection. I look older, seven years older, I guess. _

_The little girl from before, Rebecca, I think, holds onto me tightly, smiling._

"_Daddy." She smiles, "I love you, Daddy."_

_I smile. So this is what it feels like to be a real Dad?_

"_I love you too, baby girl." I say, and Sonny laughs._

"_Baby girl, you used to call Abby that."_

_I then calculate…uh, Abby will be about 10/11 now…wow. I wonder where she lives. Maybe with Melanie and Dad? _

_I look down at the baby bump and Sonny smiles at my surprise and wonder. Then she feels for the bump, grinning._

"_It kicked," She says, "Feel it."_

_I do as she says, surprised when I feel a little kick. I grin, so happy at how adorable this is. Sonny and me, parents. It's what I always dreamed of._

"_Isn't it beautiful?" Sonny says, "To think, I have a little child in here. I'm carrying a life. It's so nerve-racking."_

_She's not the only one whose nerves are being racked (I guess?). Or wrecked? Whatever. _

_Sonny moans in pain, so I comfort her, stroking the bump slowly, and she smiles._

"_You're the perfect father," She says, "And the perfect husband."_

_Husband? YES! I love this dream!_

_She leans in slowly, and I do the same, just hoping to feel those lips again._

…_It doesn't turn out that way. I open my eyes, still waiting for that kiss. I realise Sonny has gone, the bump has gone, Rebecca has gone._

_Mom is still there though._

"_Where'd they all go?" I ask her, and she frowns._

"_I warned you, Chad," She says, "I warned you Sonny and you would face one more problem – and that was your jealousy."_

_I then remember before we left to Wisconsin, Mom did exactly as she's said. She told me Sonny and I would face one more problem, if we got past that we'd be together forever._

"_So…Sonny wasn't cheating on me?"_

_She rolls her head back, "Ugh! Of course not! Chad, remember? I told you she loved you, she would forever. Now you've blown it."_

_I blink, "Blown it?"_

"_Uh-huh."_

_I shake my head, "No, I can't of; surely there is something I can do…anything?"_

_She shakes her head._

"_Is there anything you can do?"_

"_Don't you think if there was I'd have done it?"_

_I sigh, "I see your point."_

"_Chaddy!"_

_I hear a sing-songy voice come from the other room._

"_Who's that?" I ask, confused._

"_I have no idea," Mom says, "And probably, neither do you."_

_A girl who I've never seen before walks in and I shudder. I turn back to Mom._

"_So…you're saying that without Sonny, I'm gonna end up some loser who lashes onto any girl who takes his fancy?"_

"_Exactly."_

"_And…" I gulp, "…What happens to Sonny?"_

"_Sonny?" She asks, "Oh, a great life. A life like she would've had with you…only it's with someone else."_

"_And that 'someone else' is?"_

_She glares at me and I gasp._

"_It's not…"_

"_It is." She says. It's then when I notice we're not at home anymore – we're in a different house. The one everyone was staying in for the wedding but me and Sonny. I then see Sonny walk in, arm in arm, with a guy with blonde hair and green eyes. It can't be…_

"_That's right," Mom says, as if she can read my mind, "You drove away Sonny, she came to be with Callum."_

_My heart pretty much hits the ground._

"_No," I whisper, before my voice builds up, "No, no, NO!"_

"_Sorry, Chad," She says, "It's too late."_

"_Can't you do something?" I say, "Just…anything?"_

"_I can't do a thing." She says, "I'm sorry, Chad."_

"_Please." I whisper. "I need to get Sonny back."_

"_Chad, __**I **__can't do anything." She says, before winking._

"_Well, then…I've lost Sonny?" I ask, "Forever?"_

_Mom sighs, whacking me across the head. _**(A/N: I wouldn't have done that, if it weren't for you nangelgirl923 ;)) **

"_Ow!" I yell, before she winks at me again. "Do you have something in your eye?"_

_She sighs, "Chad, it's over for me. I can't help you. And unless you do something quick, you __**will **__lose her forever. I'm sorry for hitting you…come here…"_

_She hugs me tight, before pulling away and smiling._

"_Now, go get your girl back," She says, "And don't make me come back again!"_

It's that moment when I wake up. I blink, realising what just happened. I put Abby into her bed, before running outside and heading straight to my car. I need to get to Sonny's house, before she leaves for Wisconsin…and Callum.

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**Well, what do you think? Chad's FINALLY come to his senses (A little late for that bubb) [Miley says that to Sterling's character on HM, yes, i saw it the other day :)]**

**Review!**

**PS: I found out Sara is what female Jews in Germany had to add to their names during WW2...yeah, random fact. :D**


	26. Chasing Sonny and Tawnisitting

**We're back for LWMS! Sorry it took so long (not that long) but I was mad at myself for killing Channy. Then I thought, get over it, you're iluvchanny13, it's right there in the name, so yeah. I'm thinking Channy may need to come back soon...**

**CHAPTER! :D**

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**Chapter 26-Chasing Sonny and Tawni-sitting**

Chad's POV

I head towards my car, dialling Mary and asking her if she could take care of Josh and Abby for a while. When she says that she's busy with another job, I groan. Just _GREAT! _That woman's the only person outside the family (apart from Sonny) I trust with the kids…now what?

Then I hear a voice call my name and turn to see Tawni, who looks angry. Hey, that's Tawni for you. She runs up (as fast as you can in 5 inch heels) and whacks me round the face. **(A/N: nangelgirl923, your fault, not mine :P)**

"What the heck was that for?" I ask, holding my hand to my cheek.

"For being a total jerk!" She yells, whacking me again. **(A/N: nangelgirl923, u can probably tell, I'm challenging you ;))**

"You heard? I ask her, and she scowls.

"We _all _heard." She says, "Why did you even think for a second that _Sonny _of all people would cheat on _you_? She WORSHIPS you for crying out loud!"

"Well, I know that now," I say, "And I'm gonna go find her, apologize for being such a…"

"Dirty, stupid, self-loving weasel?" She finishes for me.

"See, this is why we don't get along." I say. "I just need to find someone to baby-sit the kids for a while…do you know anyone?"

She grins, "You're looking at her!"

I blink, "Do you even know what you're doing?"

She laughs, "I think we all know the answer to that!"

**(A/N: I just realised those are actual lines from an actual episode. Lol, if you're a real fan, u'll know :P) **

"Er…no?" I suggest, and she whacks me again, this time on the arm.

"Ow!" I yell, "Quit it!"

"I can easily baby-sit your little…siblings." She says like she's higher thaqn us all, "Abby's my mini-me, remember?"

"Nope." I say, and she groans.

"And trust me," She continues, "I can control that monster of a brother you have. No problem."

"Oh, really?" I ask, and she nods. Hmm…no-one hits CDC and gets away with it, even _if _I deserve it. And, it won't hurt to have a little fun with Tawni. I mean, after everything she's done to me…it's payback time!

"Really."

I grin, "Well then, have fun!"

I hand her the keys to my front door, leisurely striding to my car, before texting Josh.

_Tawni Hart is coming to visit. Do with her as u please._

A minute later I get a reply.

**Are you giving me permission to be bad?**

I text back…

_As long as nothing gets broken_

**YES! U're the best bro ever! **

_Have fun._

**Thanks :P I will…**

I smirk. OK, so really if I want to get on Sonny's good side, I shouldn't be pranking her friends…but Sonny doesn't need to know about this…

I get in my car and head off, ready to apologize to Sonny. This is my last chance…

Tawni's POV

I arrive at Chad's house, my nose wrinkling with disgust. I haven't been here since, uh, Chad's birthday, I think. It's a cool house, sure, but Chad Dylan Cooper's been in it. Ugh. Remembering what he did to Sonny…nope, don't like him anymore. That means I have to have a hatred to everything that's his…including his house. I think…

I grab my phone and call the others.

"Guys, you need to help me here! I'm babysitting and I don't like it!" (What, you didn't think I was gonna do all this myself, did you?)

I then take a deep breath, before walking into the house. Abby sees me and comes running up, giggling, but I see something in the boy's eyes that makes me shudder.

"Aunt Tawni!" She squeals, and I smile, a little awkward. It feels nice to be an aunt, but an aunt to _a Cooper_? Shudder…

"Hey, super star!" I say, "Chaddy's gone to go see Sonny, so I'm taking care of you for a little while!"

"Yay!" She bounces up and down in that super cute way of hers, before hugging me again. Babies and toddlers must seriously love everyone to hug this many people… especially her sibling's biggest rival.

Then I notice the boy coming over, hands behind his back, pouting. Uh-oh.

"I'm hungry," He makes a pouty face, rocking back and forth. Ugh, I'm sure this guy, like Chad, is out to get me, "Make me a sammich? You are the babysitter, after all."

Ugh. Babysitter. Why can't I be something else...like the Tawni-sitter! Wait...that doesn't sound right...

"What kind of…" I blink, "…_Sammich_?"

"I don't know, maybe…" He says, before pulling his hand from behind his back and shoving it in my face, "…Grub sandwich!"

The moment I see the wiggly thing in his hand, I scream. Then fall backwards. Then everything goes black.

Well, that could've gone better.

Chad's POV

"HURRY UP!"

UGH! Stupid traffic! People have places to be, you know! I know, the usual complaint of the traffic being way too much, but it is. Seriously, there is about a whole kilometre line of cars…and that's just all I can see! I'm sure it continues all the way to Wisconsin! Does it make it seem even worse to you if you know that at the moment, I'm just on the edge of Colorado? I don't even think I'm half way there yet… **(A/N: Haha, I love Google maps! I just found out Colorado [the state] has a town in it called Sterling! :D I also now know where the Duncans live in GLC… OK, back to story!) **

I notice a sign saying I'm 1 mile away from a town called Cortez…nope, nothing about Wisconsin. Great. I'm in the middle of a traffic nightmare, the love of my life probably in the arms of another by now.

The sign also mentions a little place to take a break. A little café thing. Like I'll do that! I have to get to Wisconsin as soon as possible!

Although…maybe if I have a little break, get something to eat, the traffic will die down. OK, so I can't eat at the moment with my mood, but I could sure use a break.

I travel down the road until I get to the café, and turn in there.

It's funny how decisions like that can change a person.

I park my car, locking it, heading into the café quickly, putting up my hood because it's raining. I'm lucky no-one notices me; they're all too busy eating and warming off from the harsh spring weather. I just have a quick scan of the place, before hiding in a corner.

Someone else is already there though.

"…Sara?"

It's my cousin. And someone else…

"Callum?"

The two turn to face me, and I can't read their reactions. They don't exactly rejoice at the sight of me though. My cousin looks slightly happy to see me, but kinda disappointed in me. Callum? He looks like he could smash my face in. OK, so maybe I can read their expressions.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Then I hear a door open and close behind me. Toilets.

"Chad?"

I turn back and my emotions all come up at once.

"Sonny?"

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**Uh-huh. there you have it. Chapter :) **

**Did ya like it? Please do...REVIEW, of course! :D lol ;)**

**See you next time...PEACE OUT! ;)**


	27. Bad Desicions

**Heya guys! It's been quite a while! Lol. Yeah, so, I wanna slap myself for no updates on a story that was left on such a big cliffie, but hey, it's here now, right? Right! So read!**

**Oh, and la de da? U were right! ;)**

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**Chapter 27-Bad Decisions**

Sonny's POV

The moment we leave Condor Studios I decide to call back to Wisconsin, just to tell them we're on our way.

"Alright, sweetie," Melanie says, "Uh, Callum wants to speak to you. Do you want to?"

At first, I think no, absolutely not. He ruined me and Chad, or was at least the cause. Then I remember how much I liked him before I left Wisconsin…how much I still liked him until I met Chad. How much I might still like him…

"Put him on." I say.

After a little bit of rustling, I hear a voice.

"Sonny?" Callum asks, "Are you OK? What happened to you at the wedding?"

I blink back the tears stinging in my eyes, ignore them and just focus on Callum. It's funny how decisions like that can change a person.

"Uh…long story," I say, "Can…can you come visit me? I want to talk to you about it all."

"Sure," He says, "Where are you?"

"I'll meet you at my apartment in Hollywood, and then we'll talk."

I give him the address and he says he'll catch the next flight. Ah, boys who care about you, they are amazing. I have three in my life – Nico, Grady, and Callum. Chad used to be the third, but now… I just don't know.

When Callum arrives at the apartment, Sara is surprised. She pulls me into my own room, leaving Callum alone in the front room.

"What are you doing?" She hisses, "What is he doing here?"

"I'm single now, remember?" I say, hating myself because I never wanted to say again. Tough, it's the truth.

"Well, yeah, but what if Chad changes his mind?"

"_Chad_," I spit out his name, "…Won't change his mind. He's way too stubborn… it's why I hate him."

She gasps, "YOU DON'T HATE HIM!"

"I'm trying!" I scream at her, before lowering my voice because Callum might hear us and I seem to have upset Sara. She may be _HIS _cousin, but I still care about her. "…I'm sorry, Sara. I don't want to forget Chad but I have no choice. He made way too many mistakes before, now I've made one… it's made me realise we're not the perfect couple I thought we were… so that's it. Game over." I walk back to the sitting room but she doesn't let me go. I groan. So this is why people find my optimism annoying.

"But… it can't be the end of your happily ever after with him!"

"Oh…GROW UP, will you?" I yell. Ugh, what has Chad done to me? He's turned me into a total…what can I say here without swearing? "It's over! Chad isn't my happily ever after, and the sooner you and I realise that, the better. Maybe dating Callum again will help me move on."

She frowns – she seems a little hurt by what I said, but she knows I'm right. We both do. We've just got too involved in the _Channy_ world we all love that world too much. Afraid it's the end of that world, and we've gotta get over it.

"I'm sorry, Sara." I say, hugging her, and she hugs me back.

"It's OK."

I walk back into the sitting room with Sara. I sit on the couch but she sits next to me just to stop Callum from getting too close. Yowch. She's more like _my _protective little cousin than Chad's.

"So…" Callum says, "Wanna tell me why I'm here and why you two were yelling in that room?"

I sigh. Where do I start?

"It's something to do with Chad…"

As soon as I mention Chad's name his cheeky smile disappears. "What did he do?"

"No!" I say, "It was something I did… well, something we both did… but I don't know what to do anymore… I still like him, sure, but I just can't. Don't ask me why, I just can't."

He frowns, "Oh. So what do you do now?"

"I was gonna take Sara back to Wisconsin… wondering if you wanna come?"

He shrugs, "Considering I kinda need to go back there coz it's my home, sure. Who's driving?"

"I will." I say, "My car's just out there."

"Now, what gentleman makes the lady drive?" Callum asks in a flirty way, and I groan, but smile. **(A/N: Ugh. Canny/Sollum... not Channy :/)**

"The one who doesn't want a broken leg."

"Ouch!" He says, "When did you become so feisty?"

I roll my eyes, "I'd rather not talk about it… can we just get to the car?"

"Sure thing, Sonbeam."

_Sonbeam… _That's just like Chad's nickname for me – Sonshine. I ignore that; ignore the tears stinging in the back of my eyes. I just need to move on – the sooner, the better. Chad would want me to move on – he'd want the best for me, even if he now hated my guts (which was likely). He wouldn't want me obsessing over him for the rest of my life. And if that's what he wants, who am I to deny CDC what he wants?

"Hurry up!"

Yes, you guessed right. We're in traffic. In Colorado. Which is nowhere near Wisconsin. I just want to get to Wisconsin as soon as possible…I don't know _why. _Maybe I just need to talk to my friends about my break-up, a gir'sl shoulder to cry on. Sara's not the best idea, since I can't complain at her about her own cousin. Nope, I think talking to my friends will be a much better idea.

But that may be days away, because the traffic is hell.

"Well, now what do we do?" I ask as Sara, obviously bored, turns on the radio and Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song" comes on. Perfect for this kind of weather. Yep, to keep me and Callum apart, Sara sat in the front. I'm driving, and Callum is sat in the back. I'd say this isn't exactly romantic…

"Well…" Callum looks out the window, tiredly, but his eyes light up when he looks to the right. "…There's a café, just a few meters from here…shall we try it out?"

My stomach rumbles and answers that question for me. I also needed to, uh, answer nature's call. **(AN/N: Not cool)**

"Let's go then!" Sara smiles, for the first time since I yelled at her earlier. It sure lights up this dark, rainy day. I smile right back at her, before turning to the lay-by **(A/N: Think that's right…) **and heading to the little cosy café.

We arrived, parking our car closest to the door as we could so we didn't have to trudge so far in the rain. It makes it worse to say we don't have an umbrella. Damn you, ever-changing weather! It'd better not be like this all the way back to Wisconsin.

"One second, guys." I say, walking into the ladies room. Lady… m'lady… I mentally slap myself for that last part. _Get over it Sonny! _

I come out of the ladies room a few minutes later to see Sara and Callum angrily stood facing a blonde boy, about my age. Aw, poor guy. What has he done to turn both Sara and Callum against him so quickly?

…Wait. I'm an idiot. I know that blonde boy…

"Chad?"

He turns back to face me. I swear, if they're was a name for an expression for a face lifting and falling at the same time, Chad's nailed it.

"Sonny?"

My head starts racing at this point, and Chad just puts on a false smile and an even falser laugh.

"Funny meeting you here!"

Callum scowls behind Chad. After what I told him about our break-up, Callum think I'm totally innocent and Chad's a total jerk-face and everything's his fault. That explains the death glare.

"Do you want me to whack him in the face?" Callum asks, clenching his fists, "Or the stomach?"

Chad pulls a terrified face, and I sigh.

"Neither." I say, and Chad smiles.

"Thank you, Sonny." He says, but he notices my serious look and his happy face disappears. "Can we talk? Quietly?"

"What are you doing here, Chad?" I ask, lowering my voice like he asked.

"I…" He sighs, "I wanted to come see you, in Wisconsin… just to apologise."

I shake my head, "The damage is done, Chad."

"Well, can't it be undone?" He asks, but I sigh, shoving his beckoning hands away.

"I…" I sigh, "…I don't know. There have been so many mistakes, Chad…"

"_Chad_?"

Suddenly we hear a voice behind us say Chad's name and we turn to see a girl is stood there, beaming.

"IT'S CHAD DYLAN COOPER!" She yells, and suddenly Chad is surrounded by fans. Well, there goes our quiet talk. He gives me a sad look, and my heart is torn.

"Do you wanna get something to eat now, Sonny?" Sara asks, and I sigh.

"I'm not hungry anymore," I say, "Let's get back on the road. The rain's cleared up… c'mon."

We leave the café, my tummy still rumbling a bit. But I don't care. I just wanna get out of there… fast. Chad calls after me, but I just keep going. I ignore it – I wouldn't want to take him away from his fans.

So, going to this café was the worse decision my stomach and my bladder ever made.

And my head agreed with this.

But my heart…

* * *

**I feel evil right now. You guys hate me for keeping them apart again, right? Well, if you do, just think of this - think of the cutest Channy moment ever and smile at it. Then review with that moment. That wil be nice and will make me happy while writing a potentionally sad/happy/funny chapter, kk?**

**So, yeah, and remember - my name is iluvCHANNY13. Just don't grill me for not getting them together just yet. It's a little something called suspense :D**

**Just saying.**

**Please don't hurt me... but please do review! Nicely! Thank you :D**


	28. Pushing Away

**Hey guys! Now, I (sadly) have a confession to make. I'm sure you don't care but I promised nangelgirl923 that I'd do this...**

**Nangelgirl923 and I had a bet (kinda), to see who could cause the most pain to Chad in our respective stories (we're so mean). ...Considering she had Chad beat up in her story (Don't I Know You? - Go read it if you haven't), she won. Sigh... Oh well... the story must go on! :D Ooh, and also Hannah, uh, this IS my chapter 28 update. Just saying... I smell a one-shot...**

**I loved your rap AGAIN mrpuppy, you are a LEGEND! I think this means you get the dedication...**

**MiiMyselfandTime you gave me a very interlectual review :P**

**Ooh, and if you're crazy or want to laugh at something, go to Youtube and find "Me, Myself and Chad" by SarahStarrrrr, who is author CrazieeBubbliee. It made me lol, so yeah, go check it out!**

* * *

**Chapter 28-Pushing Away**

Chad's POV

"I don't know." Sonny says sadly. Almost like she regrets saying all she's saying. "There have been so many mistakes…"

"_Chad?" _An unfamiliar voice says and I turn back to see a little girl, probably pre-teens, who then squeals.

"IT'S CHAD DYLAN COOPER!"

It's not long before I'm surrounded by just about everyone in the room. I groan. Great. Whilst trying to get back the most important thing in my life, fans still can't respect my privacy. Well, that's what you get for being famous.

After about 2 minutes of signing the cardboard boxes fries and burgers come in (how I got the pen and whose pen it is, I honestly don't know. Probably the waitress's, and considering she's eighteen, she likes me too. Don't people have lives OUTSIDE Mackenzie Falls?) and smiling flakily (because I'm ticked off with fans by now), I give up. I need to finish talking with Sonny…

Wait…where is she?

I look around to see no bubbly brunette next to me, and sigh. She's gone. Now what do I do?

"Guys?" I say, saying something besides "Hey" or "Nice to meet you" or "What's your name?" for the first time in what feels like forever, "I've gotta go, can I get past?"

Being the caring, crazy fans they are, they let me go. Yeah, my fans can be awesome. I bet _Justin Bieber _doesn't have as caring fans as I do. **(A/N: Not a hater :D)**

I exit the café, looking round, annoyed that my hair is getting a little wet from the rain. I ignore that – I'm looking for Sonny. I look left, right, but no sign of Sonny anywhere. I then see a familiar car in the distance and the clouds are chased away in my heart…

"Sonny!" I yell after the car, running to catch up. I can see her look in the side-view mirror, sigh, and pull over. She gets out, leaving Callum and Sara in the car. Something tells me this isn't gonna go well…

"Please just go, Chad." She says, but I don't move a muscle, "…Well?"

"I'm not going anywhere." I tell her, and she groans.

"Chad, we have to move on." She says, "I made mistakes, you made mistakes…"

I shrug, "I'm willing to forget if you are."

She sighs, a deep sigh, looking into my eyes like she's trying to suss me out. She's trying to decide. She shakes her head in confusion and sighs.

"I'm sorry, Chad," She says, "I… I can't. All this made me realise we're not the perfect couple I thought we were."

I feel something sting in the back of my eyes, "We could start over again. Try to be that."

She sighs, before getting up on her toes and kissing me on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Chad." She says. Something in my heart tells me that wasn't a "_see you back at the studio_" goodbye.

I watch her drive off sadly, telling the little seeds of doubt in my head to shut up, just listening to the feeling in my heart telling me whatever Sonny's saying, this isn't the end. Not even close.

I get into my car, turning on the windshield wipers **(A/N: Think that's what they're called in America…) **and driving back to California, hoping to see Sonny back there in a day or two. Maybe she just needs some space, maybe I should leave her alone for a while. Maybe then she'll come back, and we can go back to normal.

Or… not.

As I get closer to home, I decide to call ahead to see how Tawni's doing. I kinda hope the answer is she's doing terribly and regrets offering, but if Sonny has given up on me, she could be one of my only hopes of keeping in touch (and hopefully, dating) Sonny. And if I want that, I don't want to scare her off. Even _I _know that's a bad idea.

I fish my hands-free out of the glove compartment, but at that moment, it rings. I blink – who would be calling me? Maybe… Sonny? To ask for me back?

…Of course not.

I look at the caller ID… Marshall Pike. What would the producer of So Random want with me?

"Hello?" I answer, trying to not sound like I'm overreacting.

"Chad?" The nervous voice comes, "When did you last talk to Sonny?"

"Uh…" Uh-oh. Has something bad happened? "About an hour ago, why?"

"Well, about 15 minutes ago, Sonny called me," He explains, "She told me she needed to get away from the Californian life for a while, so she quit."

At that my heart sinks like a rock.

"Sh-she quit?" I ask, and he sighs.

"She asked me to keep her position open, for a while, whilst she figures out what's going on. I was just wondering if you knew anything about what might be going on in California to drive her away."

If I was holding a phone right now, I'd probably have dropped it. My eyes start to mist up and I pull over so I don't cause traffic.

"…Mr Cooper?" Marshall asks, and I huff.

"I do know something." I say, "I'm sorry about this, Mr Pike… I need to go."

"Alright, Chad," He says, "Thanks for your time."

I hang up, not having the energy to say anything else to anyone about _anything_. I know exactly what Sonny was trying to get away from – she was trying to get away from _me_.

Tawni's POV

"Tawni?" I hear a voice say, and I rub my head. I blink, my eyes slowly opening, and I see Nico, Grady and Zora looking down at me, confused. They look kinda fuzzy… and the bright light is blinding. Where the heck am I?

Nico helps me up, and I almost fall over once. Oops. That so didn't look impressive or glamorous in any way…

"Where am I?" I ask, looking around to see Chad's annoying little brother stood there with a smirk on his face. That's when I remember- I was babysitting. Ugh, not doing this again.

"Over the phone, you said you needed some help?" Grady asks, and I nod, before the room goes funny and shaky.

"I… I think I need to lie down." I say heading for the couch. It's then when Zora and Josh's eyes meet, and they both smile a little. I blink. Is that… young love?

**(A/N: This is to do with a one-shot based on Josh that I will be sending out soon. You won't understand the dialogue of this little bit completely until I post that, but still, I will give it to you. It's pretty cute)**

"Hey." Zora says… shyly? What the heck has happened to Zora?

"Hey." Josh says back, "Good to see you again."

"Yeah," Zora laughs, "It's been a while."

"I'd say!" Josh smirks, "Remember our little prank on a certain evil little girl and a brother of mine?"

Zora grins evilly, "How could I forget?"

I smir, "Aw, young love!" I say, "So cute!"

"SHUT IT!" They both yell, and I laugh. Ah, I see Randoms and Coopers make good couples.

* * *

A little while goes on, and we're actually having a good time. I'm hanging with Abby, having fun with her, introducing her to style and make-up. So glad Chad isn't here right now – he'd kill me. The boys are playing on Josh's Xbox with him (failing, apparently) and Zora is listening to her iPod whilst watching the boys, giving Josh cutesy eyes. I haven't seen her like this since the days of Wesley… which, luckily, are long gone. Sadly, Sonnying It Up is still done by Sonny. When will she learn?

I'm just putting lipstick on Abby when a tired, sad looking Chad walks through the door, and I have to blink twice to check it really is Chad.

"Are you… alright?" I ask him, and he shakes his head as his simple answer. He then walks past us all, his expression not changing. He looks… lost, confused, more like a 9-year-old boy who'd lost his Mommy than an eighteen year old, practically a man. OK, so he has lost his Mom already, but this looks worse. _Much _worse.

"Are you gonna tell me what's up?" I ask him, not in too cruel a tone, because even though I hate the guy, he looks like he'd crumble and break if he got one more hit. He murmured something quietly, and I could just about make it out.

"Sonny…" He whispers, "She… left us. She left _me_. I was only trying to get her back…"

He was now at the couch, where he collapsed onto it, flinging his car keys down on the coffee table at the side. Abby tries to hug him, but he just sits there, letting her crawl all over him. He doesn't say anything to her. He doesn't even call her "baby girl". He just… sits there.

"She left us?" Grady says, "What do you mean?"

Chad sighs. I can see he doesn't want to talk about it. It obviously hurts. "Marshall called me." He says, softly. Once again, I can only just make it out. "He told me Sonny…" He cringes, "…quit So Random."

"WHAT?" Is about all anyone in the room can muster up. It's then when I see the tears in Chad's eyes.

"He said she wanted to get away…" He chuckles effortlessly, "I think it's obvious _who_ she was running from."

It's then when it hit me. Sonny… had gone back to Wisconsin, not because she was bored of us or hated her job… she was getting away from the love of her life.

"She obviously wants me to move on, anyway…" Chad continues, with no emotion in his voice. Just a cold, empty ring.

"Are you going to?" I ask him, and he sighs.

"I don't have much choice." He says, "I think this stunt has made it clear that she's done with me."

I shake my head. This can't be right. It's so… not Sonny. I'm sure she loves Chad… she's running from the one she loves the most… it makes no sense. I remember they had a fight… Chad went after her… obviously things didn't go the way he wanted them to.

He smiles, a sad smile, before saying, "Uh… I need to go sleep now. You Randoms can show yourselves out, right? C'mon, Josh, Abby, bedtime."

He then kisses his little sister softly on the head before running straight upstairs. He leaves his two siblings there though, and Josh sighs, before picking up his little sister, waving us goodbye (giving Zora a little wink) and then heading for the stairs. Me and the others watch them the whole way, before turning to face each other with worried expressions.

"I'm gonna say aloud what everyone's thinking," Zora says, "…That guy's dying inside."

"Definitely," I sigh.

"So… what do we do?" Nico asks, "Just… leave them alone? Let them make their own choices."

That's when I burst out laughing, "Yeah, right!" I say, "Like I'm gonna just sit back and watch Sonny and Chad throw their whole relationship away! We need to do something!"

It's then when the jaws of everyone in that room drop, and I blink.

"What's up with you people?" I ask.

"Tawni?" Nico asks slowly, "Are you… caring? For Sonny?"

My eyes open wide… "I… I am."

"How d'ya feel?" Zora asks, feeling my forehead for a fever.

I pause, "…I feel pretty good. It's just, we just have to fix this! Chad and Sonny are, dare I say it, cute together! We need to get them back together!"

With all these eyes staring at me in this way, I don't feel like they're on my side.

"Look, I know I'm not usually one to help Chad and care about Sonny… but they are perfect for each other… I can't let them throw each other out like trash! And I know none of you can either! We have to do something!"

Zora is the first to smile, "I don't know about you guys," She says, "But I agree with Tawni. For the first time ever, I totally agree."

The boys smile too, "And us."

"I think you've gone crazy," Nico points out, "But that's good. I agree with you completely. We need Sonny back – she's our friend."

"And we're not gonna be able to live with a grumpy Chad." Grady points out, "Whatever you need, I'm in."

I grin. Finally, these guys agree with me. I may be crazy, helping Chad, my worst enemy, and Sonny, the bubbly, annoying-ish friend, but I have to do it. They need each other, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get "Channy" back.

"So here's what we're gonna do…"

* * *

**:D OK, those two (I think) reviewers who want Sonny and Chad back together now... be patient, my pretties. And youdontneedtoknowwhoiam? If you kill me, you can't see the end of the story, can you? Lol ;)**

**Anyways, hope you guys loved the chapter (or at least didn't _hate _it...). Show me you did by... REVIEWING! (nicely)**


	29. Team Channy!

**Yippee! Chapter 29! I'm super excited for this one, just coz of the Randoms being awesome. I'm updating a lot recently, coz of a reason that will soon be revealed to you.**

**Two people who regularly PM me have a small, word-less part in this chapter... they will know who they are :D**

**Important note at the bottom...**

**Oh, and I don't own SWAC. I own Sticky Mickey's though, even though it's not real... you'll get it when u read...**

* * *

**Chapter 29-Team Channy!**

Tawni's POV

"Okay, we all know the plan, right?" I whisper to the others in my dressing room, going over the plan one last time, "Zora and I go find Sonny, Nico and Grady corner Chad. Convince them they miss the other and want them back… get it?"

"Got it." They all reply.

"Okay, let's go," I say, before pumping my fist in the air, "Team Channy!"

Yeah… we're called Team Channy. Just because our goal (as a _team_) is to bring _Channy _back! Wow… that's a weird thing for me to wanna do, but like I said, Chad and Sonny are adorable, and happy, together. If they ended up living their lives apart, sad and their hearts alone, not really in love when they marry… I don't know what I'd do. They are perfect for each other though, I've only recently realised that… and they will be getting back together soon, I promise you that.

We then separate to our different ways – Grady and Nico to Mackenzie Falls, me and Zora to my car, and eventually Wisconsin.

Alright, time to get this plan into action!

Chad's POV

I get back to work the day after Sonny decided to leave me. If she wants me to move on, if she wants me to get on with my life, I'll sure try. It'll be hard, because I do… _lo... like_ her. And considering she kissed my cheek yesterday, I'm sure she still lo... likes me. We just, according to her, can't be together. Alright then, now I have to follow Sonny's wishes. And how to do this, I don't know…

Maybe I should just pretend like she never existed? Well, _that's _a dumb idea. How can I pretend the most important thing in my life didn't exist, especially since her huge photo (on the wall of the So Random corridor) is still up, right outside my studio?

Hey, I'll try something…

* * *

I'm in my dressing room that first day when I get a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I say, and I have to rub my eyes when I see the two Random guys come in… smiling? Why aren't they mad? Chastity's get-back **(A/N: Was listening to Get Back by Demi Lovato the moment I typed that ;)) **prank should've started by now…

"Hey, Chad." Nico says, putting his elbow on my shoulder in a friendly manner. I act like he's not there.

"Uh… hello?"

"Why are you here?" I ask softly, because I'm annoyed that they are here when Sonny isn't. I don't like seeing the Randoms unless Sonny's with them.

"We just came to hang!" Grady grins, and I roll my eyes.

"Hang?" I say, "I have better things to do."

I know – antisocial. But if Sonny's no longer around, neither is Chad. Just CDC… no matter how hard it'll be, I have to become him again. Ugh, let the torture of being publicly hated by _everyone_ begin again…

"Really?" Nico says, and I scowl. _Why won't they go away?_ "Coz I know how bored, and lonely, and _distraught_ you must be now you're single…"

"I didn't know idiots like you knew the word 'distraught'." I say with a false smirk. They see right through it and I sigh, "You want me to go get Sonny back, don't you?"

They shrug, smiling. "Well…"

"I'll take that as a yes." I say, not meeting their gaze.

There's an awkward silence for a minute, before Nico says, "Uh, so can we take _that _as a yes?"

"Hmm, how about..." I say in a cheery voice, before flattening my tone, "No."

"Why not?" Grady asks, and I sigh.

"She hates me." I say softly.

"I don't think she does." Grady shrugs, and I laugh.

"Oh, really? Then why'd she run from me?"

"She…" Nico pauses, "…Needed some space?"

"No." I say really slowly, saying each word on its own, like I'm talking to morons. Which, I guess I am. "She. _Hates. _Me."

"We don't know that for sure," Nico says, "I say you right back down there and demand to know where you stand. Take charge – you're the dude!"

I sigh, "I'm _not _doing that."

"Well then, you're no longer Chad Dylan Cooper." Grady says, and I try not to laugh.

"Uh… excuse me?"

"Not the Chad Dylan Cooper we know anyway." He adds.

"Of course I'm Chad Dylan Cooper," I say, "You guys can't have possibly forgotten that. Remember? CDC, the greatest actor of his generation, the puppy shover, the bad-boy…"

"That was CDC." Nico says.

"We were talking about _Chad_." Grady adds.

I sigh, peed that they decided to bring my long-gone, loving, kind persona into this, "Well, then, I'm sorry, but he's _dead_. He's gone along with Sonny, and he's not coming back."

Grady chuckles, "No, he's not. He's still in there – among all that hate and jerk-ness. And I know he wants Sonny back, even if CDC doesn't."

I ignore them, "I'm NOT going back."

"Well, then, we're not leaving." Nico says, collapsing onto the couch behind him, and Grady does the same. He jumps up though quickly, fishing something from behind the pillow. I gulp as he pulls out the small box with a shocked expression. Busted.

"What's this?" Grady asks.

"Uh, nothing!" I say, trying to stop them from opening it. Too late. Grady is almost blinded with the shine coming from the inside, and when they fish the diamond ring out of the box, I try to pull off an "I'm innocent" smile. Fail.

"Were you…" Nico blinks, "…Gonna _propose_ to Sonny?"

"Or someone else?" Grady gasps, "I knew we couldn't trust you!"

I groan, "SHUT UP!" I yell. They go quiet and I sit on the couch, head in hands. This is when Sonny would usually put her arm around me, tell me everything will be OK. Instead, I'm stuck with these guys interrogating me.

"Well?" Grady asks, and I sigh, looking up for a moment.

"It is for Sonny... or was." I explain, and the boys gasp. "I wasn't gonna propose." I add, "We're only eighteen… way too young. But… it's a promise ring. It was to show her that I'd never leave her, and would marry her one day… I was gonna give it to her while we were in Wisconsin, but I never got the chance with all the crazy stuff. I then took it with me yesterday… she obviously didn't want it. Well, she sure didn't want _me_."

I don't know _why _I'm admitting all this to the guys I hate the most (apart from Zac Efron) in the whole world, but it surprises me to see they're listening. They almost look like they care!

"So… go back to Wisconsin!" Nico yells over-excitedly, "Show her the ring; show her how much you love her!"

I start to smile, they may be right. I have to do this…

I then shake my head, sighing again, chucking the thought out like garbage, "I'm sorry guys… I can't face her again."

They both take a long huff, before Nico says, "Well, I guess we came for nothing." He pats Grady on the back, "Guess there's nothing we can do, bro… let's go."

They leave, giving me one last sad look on the way out, and I almost cry.

I then look down at the ring, sat in a little pillow of velvet, and I blink back the tears.

_No more mistakes…_ isn't that what I promised Sonny when we got back together after the house fire? Looks like I failed that. I take the box in my hands, looking down at the diamond and only seeing Sonny. I blink back the tears, before over the intercom I am asked for on set. I take a deep breath, closing the box and putting it in my drawer, before heading off to rehearsal… broken.

Tawni's POV

After HOURS of driving (which has made my hair look a wreck and my eyes droopy), we arrive at the house where Sonny's mom and everyone else is staying. I smile when Connie opens the door.

"Hey Tawni, Zora," She says, "What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for Sonny." I say, "Do you know where she is?"

"She's at her new job…" Connie sighs, "I couldn't believe it when she told me she wanted to move back for a little while…"

"So were we." Zora says, "Where's her new job?"

Sonny's POV

"Welcome to Sticky Mickey's Fried Chicken!" I grin at my first customer on the job, "How may I help you?"

Yeah, that's right. My new job… a fast food restaurant worker. Yippee. There's no way this tops being part of the So Random cast, but hey, I just need some time alone, away from all the Hollywood theatrics and the fame and fortune… just for a while. Or maybe the rest of my life.

It's not that I don't love Hollywood right now and would rather move back here – because I love there and I love my job and my friends. I just… don't know anymore. A lot has changed in a short while…

I wave off my first group of customers, before waiting for the next…

"Welcome to Sticky… Tawni? Zora?"

My two Californian girl friends are staring me in the face, Zora smiling, Tawni trying to smile. I guess, considering she's never had fast food (I know – crazy!) this is all new to her. I don't think she likes it.

"Sonny!" They grin, hugging me.

"So…" I say, striking a pose, "What do ya think? New job! Cool, huh?"

They both just stand there, holding those same face positions (smiling falsely), and I sigh.

"You hate it?"

Tawni nods, and Zora whacks her.

"It's OK… we need to talk to you though."

"Oh, that's cool." I say, "I have a break coming up in ten minutes. Wanna order something and I'll talk to you then."

Zora nods, ordering like an expert. Tawni has no idea. She just buys a salad. I didn't even think Sticky Mickey's sold salads… I always loved the fried chicken wings. Mmm…

* * *

I sign off for my break, leaving the other employees, Sarah and Hannah **(A/N: Like I said earlier, you know who you are) **to continue, and sit with the girls, taking a few of Zora's fries.

"So, what did you guys wanna talk about?" I ask them, and they look at each other sadly, before looking back at me, synchronised, somewhat worried.

"You, coming back." Tawni says, and I huff, leaning back in my chair, annoyed. "We just want you to think it over again, slowly."

"You too?" I say, "My Mom was exactly the same about it."

"And she's right," Zora says, "You need to think about this."

I groan, "I'm not coming back. Not for a while, anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because…" I come up short, and throw my hands in the air in defeat, "…Because I just can't."

"Not good enough." Tawni says sternly. "It's to do with Chad, isn't it?"

I roll my eyes, still not meeting their gaze.

"Sonny, you have it all wrong with Chad. He _wants _you. He _needs _you."

"He can live without me." I say softly, not bothering to put in any emotion.

Tawni lets out a small laugh humourlessly, "Sonny, you didn't see him when he found out you'd come back to Wisconsin. He was _crushed_."

I then hate myself for feeling sorry for him.

"C'mon, Sonny," Tawni continues, "You can't tell me you don't still have feelings for him."

"I can." I reply.

"Okay then," She says, leaning forward, "Do it."

I try to say it. I think in my head, _Easy. I'm over Chad Dylan Cooper. I have no feelings whatsoever. _I go to say it… but I can't. The words won't leave my mouth. They just come as a murmur in the back of my head. Tawni smiles shruging.

"I rest my case."

I feel like crying, "Why are you doing this to me?" I ask, and Zora's shoulders slump.

"We don't want you making a mistake." She says.

"I'M NOT!" I yell, "Why can't you just, as my friends, except my decision? You don't even like Chad anyways!"

Tawni shakes her head at me, breathing deeply, clearly upset, "We just want you to make the right decision. We know how amazing you and Chad are together, and we just don't want you to throw away your relationship with him for nothing."

I growl. I'm not gonna listen to these guys. Some _friends _they are if they can't respect my decision.

I get up, leaving the restaurant (guess who's getting fired tomorrow!) and heading for my car, driving straight home.

* * *

I try to stop my eyes from misting up during the ride, but they won't. Well, I suppose this is what I get for falling so hard for a guy who things were never gonna work out with.

I open the glove compartment to find my sunglasses to cover my eyes (so no-one sees my tears, even though I will look weird considering it's cloudy). My heart thumps inside my chest when I see the small picture of Chad and I in there, seventeen, on our first date, young, happy, free… together. I pull over, getting out the picture, wanting to get rid of the memories. I go to rip the picture in half, but… I can't. It's just like what happened with Tawni in Sticky Mickey's… I just can't admit that Chad and I are over… it doesn't seem like it's a possible thing for my body to do.

I arrive home, waving at Sara, giving Mom a hug, before heading right up to my room, picture of me and Chad in my pocket.

_You have it all wrong with Chad. He wants you. He needs you… he was crushed… you can't tell me you don't still have feelings for him… _Tawni's words ring through my head, understandable, unforgettable…

I still love Chad. There's no way I can deny it. And that means I have two choices – try to get over him, or go back to California and find him. But then, if I leave here, I need to break up with Callum, since we have been dating since yesterday. I stare at the photo for a long moment.

"C'mon, Chad…" I say, "Tell me… what do you want me to do? What are you thinking about right now?"

I'm then hit by a spark. I know exactly what I want to do – it's like Chad's talking to me, like I'm talking to him… weird.

I grab the picture, my jacket, and my car keys, heading for my car, smiling my Sonny smile for the first time since Chad and I broke up.

Chad's POV

I get back from rehearsal, Grady and Nico's words eating away at my heart…

_You're no longer Chad Dylan Cooper… We're talking about Chad… he's still in there… and I know he wants Sonny back…_

OK, so he does. Chad wants Sonny back. _I _want Sonny back. But… how can I get her back? I think for a moment. Were the boys right? If I went back to Wisconsin, showed her the ring, how much I _care_… she might take me back?

I look at the little diamond in the ring, seeing Sonny's face in it. I've been sat here for five minutes, studying it like a math puzzle, hoping something will give me an answer.

"C'mon, Sonny," I say, "Tell me… what do you want me to do? What are you thinking about right now?"

I then get hit by a spark. Something just tells me Sonny's talking to me, telling me to do something… creepy.

I grab the ring, the box, my jacket and my car keys, heading for my car. Finally, my life feels right again for the first time since Sonny and I broke up. I then stop in my tracks – I could be there a while. I grab a small travel bag in the corner of my room, stuffing a bunch of clothes and what-not into it.

It's then when I get a knock at the door, and I smile broadly at who it is.

* * *

**Ooh! Who is it? **

**OK, important note time! My original plan for this story was 30 chapters. Well, we're on chapter 29. Nearing the end... :'( HOWEVER... I have a new idea to carry it on a little. I just wanted to ask, is this story getting old? Do we want it over with? Or shall I add more onto it with this new little plotline?**

**Also, I would like to ask you guys something. I got reviews saying how cute Zora and Josh are. Would you like to see more from these two? And if you do, what do you want their couple name to be? One person reviewed 'Jora', another 'Zosh'. Pick one for me. Or make up your own (if you can).**

**Alrighty then. Please put ur comments in your review. See ya's! :D**


	30. Out Of Mistakes

**IT'S OFFICIAL! Living With My Sonshine is my longest story YET! *blows one of those party things and streamers fly down*.**

**I also have a new addiction to a new song (it's not that new). We'll Be A Dream by We The Kings ft Demi Lovato :D**

**Ooh, and nangelgirl923? It's official! I win! :D 30 chapters, baby! ;) *dances crazily* ...I'm done with my celebration...**

**Well, let's get on with the story for the show that I do not own!**

* * *

**Chapter 30-Out Of Mistakes**

_Previously…_

_It's then when I get a knock at the door, and I smile broadly at who it is._

Chad's POV

"Chad?"

The So Random guys walk in, and when they see me packing (looking like I don't know they've arrived), they look confused.

"What are you doing?" Nico asks.

"Packing." I reply, not looking up from my suitcase. They stay silent.

"…Why?" Grady asks.

"Coz I'm going somewhere." I say simply.

"…Where?"

I smile, "Wisconsin."

The boys grin, high-fiving each other. Something tells me it was their goal to get me to say that.

"Nice one, bro." Nico says, high-fiving me. For the first time in, uh, forever, I feel comfortable, happy, with the Random boys.

"Thanks guys," I say, "I wouldn't have done this if it wasn't for you."

"No problem." Grady smiles.

"Now," Nico says, "Go get your princess."

I grin, picking up the bag and heading for my car. Here we go…

* * *

"Oh, come on!"

Yep. Traffic. Again. I'm sure the traffic is just against me. Once again, I am in Colorado. Right near that same café where Sonny left me. There's no way I'm going back there, it will be too painful.

Although… maybe I should? Coz A – I'm tired. B – I'm hungry. And C – if I go back there, I can show myself that I can be strong for Sonny. And… maybe it'll be good for me. How, I don't know. I think I'm just making up excuses though to go to this cafe, coz I'm starving.

I make the turn.

I get to the café, taking a seat, putting my hood up so no-one recognises me. I'm on my way to a corner seat, hoping no-one will bump into me when exactly that happens. This person has a hood up as well, and when they turn to face me, I blink.

Is that who I think it is?

Sonny's POV

I arrive at Callum's house, sighing. This is it.

I knock on his door, and he answers it. He frowns when he sees me.

"Sonny, are you OK?"

I breathe a long breath, "No, Callum. I'm sorry." I say, "This isn't gonna be easy, but I need to break up with you."

His face falls, "Why?"

"It's not you, it's me." I say in the stereotypical way to make someone feel better about this situation, "I'm… in love."

He smiles sadly.

"With Chad." He says, "I know."

I blink, "How?"

"Don't worry about it," He grins, "Just go get your Prince Charming."

I beam, "Thanks, Callum!" I hug him softly, before heading back to my car, not able to keep the smile off of my face.

Next stop – the love of my life!

* * *

After a few hours of driving, I get close to Colorado, where I see traffic on the other side of the road. Heehee, it seems Colorado always gets traffic on that side of the road. Hey, I remember this place! It's near the café where I ditched Chad… that sounds cruel. But I do remember being stuck in that exact traffic the other day.

My stomach rumbles and I hold it, feeling the need for a burger. I shrug – I would eat, but I need to get to Chad as soon as possible!

I then see a familiar car on the other side of the road, in the traffic. The car turns into the lay-by and towards the cafe. I blink. Is that… Chad? That's surely his car! Just to check…

I swerve into the lay-by, luckily not causing any crashes or accidents, before driving a little to arrive at the café. I park my car in the spot right next to what could be Chad's car. I then get out of the car (luckily, it isn't raining like last time) and head straight for the café.

I get in, putting my hood up, hoping for no-one to recognise me (not that they will). I head right for the corner seat, hoping I won't draw attention to myself.

Too late.

I bump into some guy with a hood up, but when he turns to see me, I grin.

"Sonny?"

"Chad?"

Chad smiles a little when he sees me, before frowning. I know what he's thinking.

"We need to talk." I say to him, but I blink as he says the exact same thing. "OK, you first." We both say, "No, you…"

"No, I insist." He says, "You go first."

I sit on a chair in the corner table, and he does the same, across the way from me.

I sigh, leaning forward, "Chad, I'm so sorry." I say, "I was horrible to you. Ignoing you that whole time we were in Wisconsin, dancing with Callum, implying I wanted to move away… I'm the worst girlfriend ever, I swear."

I put my head in my hands, just confused. Chad senses my distress. He takes my hands and holds them tightly in his own, smiling.

"Hey! Hey…" He chuckles, "You're not that. Not even close."

I sigh, "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No. I'm not." He says, staring me in the eyes, "Listen to me, Sonny – you're beautiful and sweet and kind and funny and talented and… the best girlfriend I've surely ever had. Probably the best girlfriend anyone's ever had."

I smile at Chad's comforting words, feeling safe holding his hands.

"You're perfect, Sonny…" He continues, and I laugh.

"Nobody's perfect, Chad."

"You're _amazing_, Sonny…" He corrects, "This was all my fault anyway…"

"No, it wasn't," I say, "I was being childish, not taking you back."

"We both were." He confirms.

"I just started to worry that we weren't the perfect couple I thought we were…"

He laughs, "Ah, Sonny, remember, nobody's perfect."

I grin, "No. They're not." I say.

"But you're close enough." He smiles, "And I love you so much."

He gets off of the seat and kneels down, and my heart twists and turns in my belly. I gulp.

"Chad…" I say, "…Are you _proposing_?"

He laughs, "I knew you'd say that. No." He says, "But…"

He gets out a little velvet box and I grin. It sure looks like he's proposing…

"I love you, Sonny," He says, "But I don't want us to get married too quick… I'm only a few weeks away from nineteen… but what I'm trying to say is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you anyway."

I smile, "And I you."

"Which is why…" He opens the small box, "…I wanted to give you this. It's not an engagement ring, but it's a promise ring. I promise that I will love you forever, never let you down, never make any mistakes… and one day I'll replace this one with a real engagement ring."

I smile, not being able to take the happiness from my face. Chad loves me, I knew it. Well, I didn't exactly – I was pretty unsure. Now, I've never been more sure of anything.

"I'm out of mistakes." He promises me. I smile, taking the ring, admiring the shimmer on the diamond. It's definitely real – when you've worked around a diamond/sequin/shiny stuff-aholic for as long as I have, you can recognise a real diamond a mile away. And this is a real one. A real beauty too.

I then grin at Chad, putting it on my ring finger, before simply saying, "So am I."

He beams, getting up from the floor, taking my hand and lifting me off my chair, before kissing me softly. I melt inside, my audience in my head going "Aw!" and it isn't long before the real life audience is too. Chad and I pull away to see everyone in the café looking at us, clapping, cheering. We wave to the people like we're some famous couple (oh yeah… we are) before heading for the door.

Chad tells me he'll come and pick up my car later, or get Tawni to do it. I don't care, coz it means I get a ride home with Chad… ah…

I get in the car, before grinning at Chad, who grins back, starting the engine and driving back. I text my Mom to tell her we're going back to California, before taking Chad's hand in mine. He winks at me, and I laugh.

Back to old times… and I love it.

* * *

**Awwww :D**

**Nangelgirl... one-shot ;)**

**Please review! Oh, and more episodes will be coming your way! I still don't know what to call Zora/Josh though...**

**See ya's! :D**


	31. Welcome Back, Channy!

**Hey-ho! We are back! Some people thought that last chapter WAS the last chapter. No, it wasn't, as you can clearly see. I will tell you when it gets close, and I hope that won't be for a long time. I'm hoping for this story to get to 40/50 chapters without people getting bored of it, that would be awesome! **

**Alrighty, then, well, let's get on with the chapter! :)**

**I (obviously) don't own SWAC, or I wouldn't be on this site. Or would I? No, I probably wouldn't. I also don't own the songs any of the countless songs in this chapter. I also don't own Tigger from Winnie The Pooh. I'm going disclaimer crazy here.**

* * *

**Chapter 31-Welcome Back, Channy!**

Chad's POV

Ah, I love life.

That is, life with Sonny. That kinda life is good. And it's back, baby!

So, the Random boys were (surprisingly) right. Sonny did come back for me. We both had the same plan, and both our plans succeeded. As much as Sonny and I find the name demeaning, Channy is back! Or, more to our liking, Sonny and Chad are back. And, thanks to my little promise ring, nothing's gonna pull us apart this time.

We arrive back home, me opening the passenger door to let Sonny out, and she grins at me. She loves it when I do little things like that, especially when I say, "M'lady" while doing it. It makes her heart squeal, which makes me smile. These are just the little things that make us the perfectly-matched couple we are. When we don't have a dramatic fight or an incredibly romantic candle-lit dinner, we have small, cutesy moments that still make us adorable together.

"Finally," I say to her, putting my arm around her back, "A nice, quiet afternoon together. Just you and me and…"

I open the door, and cancel out my previous thoughts.

"…The whole of your cast, my cast, family and friends."

When we see the scene in my living room, it's like we've been away for years and have just arrived back to a welcome home party. All the people I mentioned are there (Note – I guess now Melanie is family, or _step_-family… still), food bowls and drinks are scattered across a bunch of cutesy decorated party tables. A banner reading "Welcome Back Channy" in Tawni's obviously glamorous and large writing is placed above everyone's heads. I was right – it is a welcome home party, if you think about it.

"Welcome back!" Everyone squeals, before we're surrounded (more like mobbed) by all our friends, family, work colleagues and just random neighbours and some other people I don't know the names of (I assume Sonny does though. I hope anyway. Otherwise, I wonder what the heck they're doing here).

"I wasn't gone for long." I laugh, and Tawni shrugs.

"But Sonny was!" She says, "And so was _Channy_."

I roll my eyes. Of course, Channy.

I watch Ferguson turn on a CD player and Dynamite by Taio Cruz comes on. Everyone starts dancing crazily on the dance floor (aka my living room) and Sonny and I laugh. I look at her, smiling.

"Shall we?" I offer her my hand and she giggles, taking the hand.

"We shall."

It's then when we start dancing like maniacs, saying hi to all the random people. Even Sonny's friends from Wisconsin – Maisie, Soph, Jessie, Annie, Lucy, and Callum – are here. How they got here before us, I have no idea. We only came from Colorado; they came from the other side of the country. Arr you wondering why I'm even talking to me? Sure, they kind of caused our break-up (especially Callum), but tonight, I'm just gonna let bygones be bygones and have fun. I guess that's the point of this whole party anyways.

Hey, even Selena Gomez is here. It was quite funny. The second she sees us, she walks up, grinning.

"I knew it!" She yells, "I knew it! But you didn't believe me, didja?"

Sonny giggles, "No, we didn't. You sure were right, Selena. We were wrong."

"Aw…" She beams as Sonny cuddles up to my chest, "It's moments like this when I love being right."

"And I'm glad you were right." I say, and Sonny beams, kissing me on the cheek.

"Double aw…" Selena coos, before squealing.

"And now…" Tawni says over the mic on the stage in the corner of the room, "We have a very special treat for you guys… Selena Gomez!"

Selena turns to face us, grinning.

"That's my cue!" She says, "You guys gonna stick around for my performance? Or do you wanna go make out?"

I roll my eyes, and Sonny laughs, "Of course we're sticking round, Selz. Big fan, remember?"

"I remember." She laughs, before heading towards the stage, beaming. "Heya everyone!" She says over the microphone, "These songs tonight are dedicated to a very special couple! You know who you are! You know now I was right! So this is for you!"

Sonny laughs. She likes Selena and her music, so I suppose having a Selena song dedicated to you by the girl herself is an honor. At that moment, a middle speed beat comes on, and Sonny grins.

"I love this one!" She grins, grabbing me and dancing round like a nut-job. Haha, but she's _my _dancing nut-job.

Then Selena starts singing.

_I know  
That my love for  
You is real  
It's somethin' true  
That we do  
Just somethin' natural  
That I feel  
When you walk in the room  
When you're near  
I feel my heart skips a beat  
The whole world disappears  
And there's just you and me  
Falling head over feet  
Let's take a chance, together_

_I know, I know, I know, I know,  
We're gonna make it  
'Cause no one else can  
Make me feel the way that you do  
I promise you  
I know, I know, I know, I know,  
We're gonna get there  
Today, tomorrow,  
And forever we will stay true  
I Promise you_

I grin when I see Sonny is singing along, looking right into my eyes, singing every word like she means it.

"I promise you too, Sonshine." I say, and she smiles, before looking down at her ring on her finger. She then looks back up at me, love in her eyes.

"I know." She says.

Sonny's POV

_When we collide sparks fly  
When you look in my eyes  
It takes my breath away_

_You are the thunder and I am the lightning_  
_And I love the way you_  
_Know who you are and to me it's exciting_  
_When you know it's meant to be_

_Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally_  
_When you're with me, baby_  
_Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally_  
_Bay-bay-baby_

_Naturally_  
_Naturally_  
_Naturally_  
_Bay-bay-baby_

Selena finishes singing her last song with a smile, the whole room erupts in cheers. Selena grins, curtsying like she's performing for the Queen of England, before pumping her fist in the air like she's performing at a rock concert.

"Thank you!" She grins, "Enjoy the rest of the evening! And remember, Sonny, Chad, you are awesome!"

I laugh, taking Chad into a huge embrace, and he smirks.

"You just can't keep your hands off me now, can you Sonny?"

"You caught me." I shrug. I laugh, before turning my head as a random band plays random party songs and people dance around us. "Can you see any other couples?" I ask Chad, "Or are we the centre of this universe?"

Chad shrugs, before I feel him smile. "Found one." He says.

I look over to the corner of the room where Maisie and Callum are sat on the couch, hugging. They then kiss softly. N'aw… that's cute. And I think Chad agrees. Either that or he's just glad that Callum is thinking of a girl that isn't me. Either way, I think they're adorable together. **(A/N: Caisie? Mallum? I don't know… it's better than Canny/Sollum) **

I then notice my cast dancing together, but Zora's focus isn't on the dancing. It's on the stairs. I smile – I bet she's hoping Josh makes an appearance.

"Look at that!" I grin, pointing to Zora, and Chad blinks.

"The younger Random looking at my staircase… what's the problem?"

I roll my eyes, "There isn't one, you goof!" I say.

"So, what's the not-problem?"

I squeal, "She's waiting for Josh! It's so cute! Young love! Remember being that young and in love with someone?"

"Nope." Chad says, popping the 'p'. "I was never in love till I met you."

My insides melt.

"Well, I was." I say, and Chad frowns a little, "Kinda… it was only a crush, so don't worry. He was no competition to you… but my point is, they would make an adorable couple!"

"But they're not a couple." Chad shrugs, "What are ya gonna do?"

He notices my _'let's help out'_ smile and jumps back like dodging a bullet.

"No!" He says, "Sonny, we are not getting involved!"

"Oh, come on!" I say, "Please?"

"Sonny, no." He says, heading over to the drinks table, and I follow him like an obedient lapdog, "We are not gonna Sonny It Up between my little brother and your weird friend... I thought you'd learnt your lesson from what happened with Wesley!"

I groan at the memory. Ah, yes, Wesley. That little jerk. He really was a mini Chad… well, a mini _old _Chad (old as in previous, not as in aging). And yes, I should've learnt my lesson by now. I thought I had… until I saw Josh and Zora together. Now, I'm in the meddling mood.

"I know what you're thinking." Chad says, and I blink.

"What?"

"You're planning how to Sonny It Up this time."

I sigh, "Chad. First – please stop calling it Sonny It Up."

Chad moans, "But everyone calls it Sonny It Up!"

I roll my eyes, "And second… I wasn't thinking that."

Chad huffs. "Sonny. Promise me you're not gonna meddle between my brother and Zora."

I moan, "Must I?" He nods. "Fine." I say, "I promise I won't meddle between your brother and Zora."

_That doesn't mean I can't help them along a little…_

Chad smiles, "Good girl. Now, come on… let's dance!"

We're dancing around in the middle of the dance floor like mad things when there's a knock on the door, and someone opens it to reveal Sara, grinning. She shoves through the crowd straight to Chad and I, not taking the smile off her face.

"O.M.G!" She says, "Guess what, Chad?"

"What?" Chad smiles.

"I got offered a recurring role in a new Condor Studios show! I have to go audition for the part in a few days! I'm so excited!"

Chad grins, "Aw, Sara, that's awesome! We'd be working at the same studio if you got the part!"

I smile. Sara did point out the first day we met her that she loved acting and was hoping for a role in something big. And Condor Studios is _huge_. Plus, with Chad and his family honor policy, he must be so proud. I know he always wanted Josh to go into acting, but when Josh made it pretty clear he didn't want to act, he wanted to find some form of a family member who could act as well as him. I guess, as Tigger has taught the world, it's tough being the only one **(A/N: I had to do that :P)**. Sara may not be related to him by blood, but she's now related by love. Family is family, I guess.

A few hours go by, and before you know it, it gets to 9:30pm. Chad and I are getting tired, but it's obvious that no-one will go home until we sing ourselves. Chad is pushed up onto the stage, and he sings Hero by Sterling Knight and his own two songs, Hanging and How We Do This. A roar of applause comes along, probably because all those songs can be related to "Channy". Of course. That seems to be all anyone cares about now.

It doesn't bother me though.

Then Chad gets me up on stage, where I sing my own song What To Do, before singing a few Demi Lovato songs that I think reflects Chad and I perfectly…

First of all, Falling Over Me. I just find the storyline as a love story, love at first sight. Chad and I may have not had _proclaimed_ love at first sight, but I'm pretty sure I fell for him even when I first met him.

Afterwards, Behind Enemy Lines – I think that one's quite self-explanatory.

Then Stop The World. It reminds me of when we weren't sure whether to let people know that we were together or not. I just wanted to get rid of all the pressure, the hate between our casts, and just… stop the world and love each other, no matter who judged us for it.

I got a standing ovation from the little crowd who had gathered themselves around the stage, which made me smile.

* * *

When all that mess is over, Chad pretty much kicks the last people out of the door, before turning back to face a room of me, Melanie, Chris, and Sara (Abby is already in bed and Josh stayed upstairs for the whole time).

"So…" He says, "Who's staying and who's going?"

"Well, we have a place." Chris reminds Chad, who nods.

"Of course." Chad says, "Is Sara going with you?" They nod, and at that moment, a twinkle shows in Chad's eye. Aw, I think he's excited for it to just be me and him, spending a few minutes together before hitting the sack.

Chris, Melanie, and Sara leave, and Chad pumps his fist in the air, thinking I didn't notice. He then walks over to the couch where I'm sat, slumping down and sitting next to me.

"Are you going home to your Mom?" He asks me, and I smile.

"Er, no, thanks." I say, "Unless you want me to."

"No!" He yells, before lowering his voice, "Sorry, I mean… I just wanna spend the time I can stay awake with you."

I smile, "Same here. Alright, I'll stay for tonight, and then you can take me home tomorrow, considering my car is still outside a café in Colorado, and that was my only escape." I say the last part in a cheeky tone.

Chad whacks himself on the head, "I totally forgot about that!"

I laugh, "Don't worry – you can take me there tomorrow morning. Now, I just wanna be with you."

Chad smiles, wrapping his arms around me, turning on the TV. We put on some random show than seems to be in Indian, and the parts we can understand (kinda) are extremely over-dramatic (so much it makes Mack Falls look like a comedy show), but we don't care. Just being in each other's company, talking, laughing, is fun. Especially when we run up to the stage and make our own two-man/girl band. Chad rocks on the drums, FYI. I start to think we may have woke Abby doing this, but then shake off the thought. Abby sleeps like a bear in hibernation – she'll be fine. Besides, she's four years old. She's no longer, as Chad and I call her, a 'baby girl'. I think Chad's thinking of getting her into some kind of day-care or kindergarten soon, which will be good for her, I'm sure.

It isn't long before we get tired of the instruments, retiring to the couch, and before long, I'm fast asleep. In my sleep, I dream of being kissed by Chad, and that makes me smile. I then hear him whisper "Sweet dreams, m'lady". I must be asleep in his arms.

This makes me grin hugely.

Chad's POV

Soon after our little jam on the instruments, Sonny falls asleep on my chest, and I laugh at the sight (in my head, I don't wanna wake m'lady!) before flicking over to the channel The Falls is usually on. It's not on, instead, a repeat of So Random. I grin, watching my Sonshine check some guy out like there's no tomorrow.

I am one lucky guy.

I look down at her sleeping head on my Chabs, kiss her head softly, and she smiles. I grin.

"Sweet dreams, m'lady."

* * *

**Haha, I just had to put 'Chabs' in there...**

**Well, REVIEW! :D I have a few tricks up my sleeve yet... :D**

**P.S. - CrazieeBubbliee, that Indian TV show thing was for you. :D**


	32. Meddling and Auditions

**FILLER ALERT! FILLER ALERT! Yes indeedy, it's a filler. Because, although I have indeed won my bet with nangelgirl923 of getting to 30 chapters before her, my writing brain is behind my ACTUAL brain, and I decided that I must update AGAIN. **

**Well done, la de da, for coming up with two more Channy songs I shoulda added to the bajillion songs list of songs Sonny/Chad shoulda sung in last chapter but that I don't own. You know what other song we could add to that list? Hate That I Love You by Rihanna and Neyo. Your go! :D**

**I don't own SWAC, or GLC (Good Luck Charlie) Or the Nintendo Wii. Sigh, my life's a failure! (not really...)**

* * *

**Chapter 32-Meddling and Audtions**

Chad's POV

I wake up to see that Sonny is no longer lying on me. Oh no… has she left? I then hear a '_ding'_ in the kitchen and walk in to see her making breakfast like the perfect wife she will one day make. Abby and Josh are already at the table, Josh's hair looking presentable, Abby eating like a big girl. My jaw drops. That girl is _way_ too good at being a 'Mom'.

"Mornin', sleepyhead." Sonny giggles, and I hug her, kissing her on the cheek, getting a little "Eww!" from Abby, who is now old enough to know the children's rumours of "Kisses are cooties" and "old people are gross". Which, I suppose, to Abby, means we are old. Great. I'll admit, I am only a few weeks away from nineteen… yep, I'm getting old. I don't like it… I bet I'll be getting wrinkles soon. Ugh, not good.

I forget the fact I'm getting old and settle down for some pancakes (surprise, surprise, it's a shortstack!) and listen to Abby babble on randomly. Wow, she sure has a mouth on her. That's not a bad thing though; we Coopers can be very talkative when we wanna be. It seems Josh is the only one who doesn't apply to that rule though, as he sits there in silence, eating his pancakes quietly in the corner or the table. Sonny eyes him – great. She still thinks my brother is in love with a Random. I'm not too sure about that…

And, of course, knowing m'lady, she _has _to get involved. Don't get me wrong – I love Sonny a lot. That's kinda obvious now I've promised to someday marry her. It's just, when she gets involved with other people's business, things get ugly. What happened with Wesley was one prime example.

But then, Sonny promised me she wouldn't meddle. She gave me her word and I trust her… I think…

No, no, I'm sure I trust her.

"Josh?" Sonny says, trying to wake my brother out of what I'm guessing to be a trance.

"Yeeaah?" He moans softly.

"Do you want another pancake?"

Josh blinks, "Na, I'm good. I'm gonna go take a shower."

I blink, watching my brother walk past in a day-dreamy motion. Scratch that – there is _no way _that is my brother.

"Take a shower?" I yell, "Of what I know, that kid never takes a shower without being asked! And even then, he screams like a baby holding onto the couch and begging me not to make him go!"

Sonny grins, "Ah, I've seen this on Good Luck Charlie with a kid just like Josh… he has a crush on a girl."

I smile, "The dude's finally into things that matter." Sonny glares at me. Oops. "As in, things that matter… you matter to me, don't you? And you're a girl."

Sonny smiles, "Nice save, jerk."

"So, what do I do?" I ask, "Just pretend I'm not interested?"

Sonny tuts, "Chad, Chad, Chad…"

"What, what, what?"

"We can't do that!" She says, "We need to… meddle?"

I roll my eyes, "Sonny, no matter what you say, we are not meddling in this kid's business, OK? Josh is… kinda smart." I think about it, "…OK, he's average, but still, he'll ask out this girl when he's ready. Besides, it might not be Zora that he's crushing on."

"Oh, c'mon!" She sighs, "Zosh will be adorable together!"

I blink, "…Zosh?"

"If we're Channy, they're Zosh."

I shake my head, "Whatever they are, we can't get involved in their business, got it?"

Sonny sighs.

"Sonny, you promised."

"Fine," She says, "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," I say, hugging her, "Shall we go get your car?"

She smiles, "Sure."

Sonny's POV

We drive back to the little café, me getting in my car when we get there, and then we head straight home, texting each other on the way. I swear, Chad will some day be the death of me with his charming ways and un-ignorable texts. But, until that day…

I then look at the clock when we arrive back at Chad's and I realise – 2pm. I need to get to work pronto. I apologise to Chad, because he promised me a romantic movie, and he accepts my apology. I then leave, heading to the rehearsal (which I am 20 minutes late for). Tawni rolls her eyes at me when I get there panting heavily.

"People in love," She shrugs, "What are ya gonna do?"

Finally. She seems OK with me and Chad. Well, more like she doesn't care, but that's better than her screaming down my throat everyday about it, and I'm happy for that.

I then look around the typical pre-rehearsal So Random scene. The boys are play fighting, arguing about something weird, Tawni is still doing her make-up, Marshall is on the phone (probably to his Ma) and Zora is… not pulling a revenge prank on anyone or ripping heads off dolls? What the heck? Instead she's staring at her phone dreamily. That's totally not-Zora behaviour. I smile. She's waiting for a text from Josh, I bet! Or something like that…

Aw, it's so cute! How can you not get involved in something like this? Young love is adorable, and since Chad and I have admitted that we love each other, I've become an expert of noticing love (note – we hadn't said the 'L' word when the problem with Wesley occurred). I think I can easily get involved in this and not cause any problems. I hope… besides, Chad doesn't have to know…

I skip up to Zora, who slams her phone down and puts in her pocket the minute she sees me. I grin.

"Hey there, Z-ster!" I say, "What's up?"

She blinks, "Nothing… why?"

"Just wondering." I smile.

She stares right through my innocent act and burns a hole in it. Okay, she is one scary thirteen year-old when you think about it…

"What do you want?"

"Nothing!" I say, trying to cover up a disguise that's already been unmasked.

"Oh really?" Zora asks, and I nod.

"What would make you think so?" I ask.

"Well…" Zora holds up three fingers pointing to each one with each idea, "You're calling me _Z-ster, _you're even more cheery then usual, and… ooh, yeah, your eyebrows are higher than usual. That's always a sign that you're in the middle of Sonnying something up."

I blink, covering my eyebrows insecurely, "Okay… I _might _be up to something…"

"Which is?" Zora asks. I can't tell her… if I tell her she'll scream at me about Wesley.

"Uh…" Before I can answer, Marshall calls us all over for rehearsal, and I sigh with relief. I was lucky to get out of that one…

Chad's POV

After Sonny leaves for So Random rehearsal, I get a call from Mr Condor. I answer it with a gulp.

"Hey, Mr Condor!" I chirp, "To what do I owe this amazing pleasure?"

To be honest, I'd rather being hanging with Sonny right now, but hey, I'm not gonna tell that to the boss man.

"Don't try and kiss up to me, Cooper," The stern voice replies, and I gulp harder, "You're needed at the studios. We're auditioning for new reoccurring roles and the producers can't make a decision. Since you're not busy I was thinking you should go down to the studio and meet the possible new cast-mates of yours, try and get to know them so you can help with the final decision."

I sigh, realising that I have to tell him that I actually had plans, like going down to watch Sonny's rehearsal, or to thrash my brother on Wii Bowling again, or take Abby to the nearest park or try out possible day-care centres for her.

"Yes, Sir, I'll do just that."

Yep. Chad Dylan Cooper is a chicken. I hang up, groaning, putting away the day-care brochure, turning off the Wii. I suppose I could still go see Sonny's rehearsal, it is at the studio, after all. I kiss my little sister on the head and tell Josh to take care of her, ruffling his hair on the way out, before making tracks to the studio.

When I arrive, I'm shown into a room full of people which smells of fear and anticipation. Ah, reminds me of my early auditioning days. I walk around, meeting the auditionees, who are all, surprise, surprise, Chad Dylan Cooper fans. Then I meet one girl and I'm surprised as the familiar person shakes my hand.

"Hey Chad," She beams, "Surprised to see me here?"

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**Ooh! Who is it? Anyone got any guesses? Review soon and I'll update soon! :D**

**P.S. I wrote a new song today! Yippee! It tied a whole lot into Sonny and Chad's break-up in this story and I would have included it... if they were still apart. Oh well, keep a look out for it in another story! :)**


	33. Half Cousins and A Bet

**Hey there! So, I was just writing the A/N and stuff, when my broadband decided to FAIL. I'd written this awesome A/N for you guys and everything... sigh.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I have to repeat this too. It wad bad enough I had to say it once...**

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**Chapter 33-Half Cousins and A Bet**

_Previously…_

_I then meet one girl and I'm surprised as the familiar person shakes my hand._

"_Hey Chad," She beams, "Surprised to see me here?"_

Chad's POV

Sara, my half-cousin… what the heck is she doing here?

"I know what you're thinking." She smiles. "'_What's she doing here?_'"

Wow. She's good. I nod.

"Simple explanation," She says, "I'm here to audition, duh."

I then remember the party the other night, when she said she was auditioning for a reoccurring role in a _new _show… Mackenzie Falls isn't new.

"Mackenzie Falls isn't new." I point out, and she blinks.

"Huh?"

"The other day you said you were auditioning for a _new _show." I say.

"Oh, yeah, I did," She says, "I didn't get the part."

I frown, "Oh, Sara, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," She smiles, "It was a music show, and I'm not, uh, musically talented."

"You could be," I say, comparing _my _musical talent a year ago to now, "I used to sing like a donkey."

Sara laughs, "Funny. Yeah, well, until the day I do lose my mule-like singing abilities, they said that Mackenzie Falls would be so much better for me because they liked my dramatic approach."

Dramatic approach… yep, she sure is a Cooper now.

"So, what part are you auditioning for?" I ask.

"Mackenzie's half cousin."

I blink, "You're joking."

"Nope." She smiles, showing me her script, "Maria, a girl who has a huge crush on Mackenzie. Mackenzie kind of likes her but still loves Chloe. They realise they're cousins, drama, drama, drama, you get the idea."

"I do." I say. My show revolves around drama. It's getting kinda boring. That's coming from me. I'm surprised our reviewers haven't got bored of the same old plotlines. I know I have – Mackenzie falls for _another _girl and has to choose between her and Chloe, causing him and Chloe to fight. He finds out this new girl is yet another long-lost relative and him and Chloe make up, yada-yada-yada… Oh well. As long as it keeps money flooding into my family's bank account I'll keep doing it.

"So, do you think you have what it takes to be a Falls kid?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Do I ever?" She then gives me one of Maria's long dialogues to Mackenzie about something sad, and even I'm shocked. Whoa. Good looks, dramatic, excellent at Mackenzie Falls speeches… yep, she's a Cooper. And she's my half cousin… she was born for this role.

I know what you're all thinking – Chad Dylan Cooper… thinks someone else is _good_? What has this doppelganger done with our beloved Chaddy? Fear not – I haven't gone crazy, and I haven't been kidnapped and replaced with some nice guy. Sara is possibly the best actress I've ever seen around this joint (bar Sonny). She _needs _to get that part, and it's up to me, Chad Dylan Cooper, her big half-cousin and soon-to-be co-star, to help her.

"Chad?" A voice calls for me, and I turn to see the producer, Kate, holding a clipboard and waving me over. I head towards the door she's stood by to be lead into the main office. I've been here a ton. This is the room where my dream came true and I got the part of Mackenzie. This is also the room where three years ago, about 7 months before I met Sonny, the old producer Brian called me here to tell me to stop being a jerk and I told him words I'd rather not repeat. Yes, I've had some times in this room… good _and _not-so-good. I'm just glad I wasn't fired that day… and I think that was the reason Brian quit. Oops…

"So…" Kate says, sitting into her desk chair, leaning back. I notice the collection of other people sat around the room, and I take a spare seat in the corner. "…What do we all think of the auditionees?"

Murmurs occur all over the room, and I can hear a few.

"Not good enough."

"Not enough talent."

"Terrible standards."

Hello? Had they not _seen _Sara yet? I can't believe my ears. Sara is awesome (which is a heck of a compliment coming from me), and I haven't heard her name once. I haven't heard anyone's names… Wow. Tough room.

"I saw someone."

The words uncontrollably come out of my mouth and I wince as everyone looks my way. I try to pass the blame onto someone else, but of course, everyone knows that was me talking. It's all on me.

"Did you, Chad?" Kate asks me, and I nod, feeling a little nervous. I can't just say "That Sara girl, coz she's my half-cousin and it would be cool to work with her, especially since the part of Maria is Mackenzie's half-cousin". If I said that it would count for nothing.

"W-what I meant was…" I stutter. Wow. I haven't been this nervous since my original audition. "…Uh… there are _some _girls in there that could be cool… they all look pretty cool but I don't think we can judge them on looks and random talking in the room next door alone…" _Which is all you jerks seem to be testing them on… _"…Maybe we should give them all a call-back, see how they do."

Kate blinks, "Uh… alright then Cooper, we'll listen to your little idea. We'll give them each a proper audition with Maria's large speech. Thanks again for helping us out, Chad."

"Oh no," I smile, getting up, "Thank _you_."

I then leave the room with a spring in my step, and I have a plan. I'm gonna help Sara get the part…

Sonny's POV

I can't keep my eyes off Zora the whole of rehearsal. If it really is Zora…

First of all, she's _missing lines! _Zora _never _misses lines! That's a sure-fire proof that she's not focusing. Or she's Zora's evil twin…

Plus, when we're not rehearsing, in between takes or sketches, instead of giving someone a death-glare or setting up a prank or feeding her snake, she's either staring at her phone screen or just randomly into the sky, day-dreaming.

I knew it – she's in love. And I'm gonna help love along a little…

I know what you're all thinking – _Sonny! You promised Chad, the love of your life, that you wouldn't meddle! What if he finds out? _Well, to answer that question, my friends, I'm not meddling. And I'm not Sonnying It Up either. I'm just simply helping love along a little… is that a crime? No, exactly. So there you go – I'm helping. Nothing else…

I arrive back home, riding Sonshine **(A/N: The horse… remember? :P) **to help get my ideas of how to sprinkle love dust on the happy couple this time, when I see Chad's car drive up the driveway and I smile, riding Sonshine back up to the barn where her little boyfriend Capriccio is (Or maybe not. Me and Chad just like to say that coz it's cute).

"Hey, Chad!" I smile, still on the horse, Capriccio next to us, "What brings you to my wonderful abode?"

Chad laughs at my use of the word 'abode', before grinning at me. "Nothing, really, just came to hang with m'lady before I do a little job for a friend."

I smile stupidly, "Who's this friend?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter." He says, "What do you wanna do?"

"Well, I'm riding right now, as you can see," I say, "Wanna join me?"

He grins, grabbing the saddle off the rail, "Sure."

It isn't long before Chad and I are racing each other on our respective horses. This is the life – hanging out with your boyfriend, riding on a beautiful animal on a warm spring day, the wind in your hair and a plan developing in your brain. I know – when will I learn? I scold myself for not learning, but hey, I never was a fast learner. Someday…

After a little while of random racing, Chad agrees that amongst being the best snowball fighter, the best pillow-fighter, I am now the greatest horse-racer too. And all Chad has is the greatest actor and best boyfriend. And best eyes. He wins that by a mile. Then we head back to the house, collapsing onto the mountain of pillows. I'm tempted to hit him with one to start another pillow fight, but to be honest right now I'd rather just talk.

"So…" I say, my voice barely a whisper because I'm so comfy leaning against his chest, "Tell me more about this job you've gotta do."

"Well… it's nothing much." He says, stroking the back of my head, "I'm just helping Sara get a part in Mackenzie Falls."

I blink, "Sara's auditioning for Mackenzie Falls?"

He nods. "I couldn't believe it either – but she is really good. Like… _really _good. And that's coming from me."

I smile. The perfect opportunity to joke about.

"Wow… _the _CDC finds someone else _over acceptable_? Who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend?"

He laughs, "Your boyfriend left a long time ago. I'm boyfriend version two point zero."

I giggle, "Funny. Seriously Chad, if she's that good, does she really need any help?"

Chad shrugs, "She can think of me as her… guardian angel."

"More like her meddler." I whisper. Just loud enough for Mister Bat-Ears to hear though.

He laughs a little, "Uh, excuse me?"

"In a way, you're meddling in her business." I point out, "I'm sure she can figure it all herself."

Chad's laugh gets more sarcastic. "This coming from Miss Sonny-It-Up."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," He smiles, shaking his head, before adding, "How's the matching going between Zora and Josh?"

"Pretty good." I smile, before I realise what I've said.

"Ah-ha!" Chad proclaims victoriously, "I knew it! You lied to me, Sonny. You promised you wouldn't meddle."

I shrug, suddenly feeling guilty and stupid. "Well… yeah, but you didn't say I couldn't help them along a little…"

Chad gives me a glare, a disappointed glare, and I feel bad.

"I can't believe you, Sonny." He says.

I frown, "You… hypocrite!"

"What?"

I get up from my seat, pacing, "You're telling me not to meddle in people's business and then you go and meddle in other people's business!"

He frowns, "It's not the same thing."

"It kind of is."

He rolls his head back, before eying me. "Fine." He says, "Well, whatever you say, I'm not gonna stop."

"Same here." I say, changing my position to make me look like I'm standing tall, strong. I don't care if Chad is my boyfriend and future husband – I'm not backing down.

"Fine," Chad says, "Wanna bet on that?"

Bet? In the whole time I've known Chad he's never been so strongly attached to something to go into a bet. But then… a bet? I can do this easily – I've learnt from my mistakes and know how to meddle correctly this time. Believe me – this will be an easy win.

"Alright then." I say, "Whoever's plan fails first loses. I win – you quit Mackenzie Falls and come over to So Random." I know – harsh. But I couldn't help it – I was mad at the second I said it. And once it was out, I couldn't get it back in.

Chad frowns – he agrees that it's harsh. I mean, he loves Mackenzie Falls. I hate myself for making that bet. Too late now…

"Fine." He says, "And if I win, you come over to Mackenzie Falls."

"Fine!" I yell. I feel so awful right now…

"Good!"

"Good!"

Chad scowls at me, before heading for the door and slamming it behind him. I gulp… what was that?

Chad's POV

I storm out of Sonny's house with a scowl, leaving her with who knows what emotions.

I can't believe her… she lied to me? She promised me she wouldn't meddle between Zora and Josh, and yet she had a plan. She was gonna go through with it… I couldn't believe that. And then she had the nerve to say I was meddling too? Ha!

Well… now I think about it, she had a point. I was meddling… I guess. I just kinda love Sara as a cousin and want her to get this part really bad. Just like Sonny really wants Josh and Zora together, I guess. And who am I to blame her? Young love… it's a beautiful thing (I know… deep). Even if I don't fully like Zora, Josh does. I'm sure of it, and so is Sonny. And if she thinks she can get those two together, I'll let her.

Now to apologize for yelling at my hopefully-still future wife…

I knock on the door of Sonny's house, hoping she won't slam the door in my face. It's getting dark – about nine o'clock, I'd guess. I don't have a watch so I'm not sure.

The door is answered by Ms Munroe, who smiles at me. Huh, maybe Sonny hasn't told her Mom. If she had, Ms Munroe would've been the one to slam the door in my face. That's happened before – it hurts.

"Hello, Chad!" She smiles, before turning back, "Sonny! Chad's here!"

I then hear a moan, followed by footsteps and then Sonny pokes her head around the door.

"Hello." She says softly. I gulp.

"I'm sorry, Sonny," I say, "I really didn't mean to get down your throat about that."

She smiles, "Same here. I was just mad, I guess."

"Yeah…" I say, "Forgive me?" I pout and she laughs.

"Of course." She then hugs me and I suddenly swoon. Ah, I really can't describe what this girl does to me. It's magical.

"So… now what?" I ask, and Sonny shrugs.

"Do we take back the bet?"

I sigh. I don't want to take her away from her friends. "How about we change the stakes to you guest star on the other person's show."

"And say that show is your favourite?" She adds.

I groan, "You never make it easy, do you Munroe?"

She shakes her head, grinning, "Deal?"

I take her hand in mine and shake it, before kissing it lightly, "Deal."

She smiles, "Goodnight, Chad."

"Goodnight, Sonshine."

She then shuts the door on me and I grin. That worked out well…

I turn back to the road, heading back to my house whilst humming a happy tune, feeling content with life.

* * *

**Aw... content-with-lifeage! ...**

**LOLLAGE! Yeah, that's right readers of nangelgirl923's story Don't I Know You?, I'm the LOLLAGE person. And if you don't read that story, do. It's quite fabulous. (How about that, Hannah? Free advertisment ;))**

**So, who's gonna win the bet? What's gonna happen? Why am I asking you these questions? You don;t know... but you will, if I update, and I will only update if you review! (See that, kiddos? That's called minor blackmail... lollage ;))**

**Seriously though, please do review. (Now I sound like I'm begging...)**

**Uh... see ya! :D**


	34. Competitive Couple

**IT'S TODAY! SO RANDOM PREMIERES TONIGHT! YAY!**

**...For those of you in America. Lucky... I can't watch it till (maybe) tomorrow on YouTube after school. I've watched that Wheel Of Fortune skit though... it made me LOL! Haha, can't wait...**

**Yeah, so, story time! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own SWAC, or the songs I Love You or We'll Be A Dream.**

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**Chapter 34-Competitive Couple**

Sonny's POV

After Chad storms out of my house, I gulp. What was that about? What's he so mad at? I'm the one who should be mad… right? I mean, he was being a total hypocrite – telling me not to do something and then doing it himself. That was a pretty bad example to set.

Then again… I guess I was overreacting a little. Chad just wanted things to be good for his family – for Sara. And he rarely ever meddles, and when he does, it usually turns out right. I meddle all the time (badly) so I guess my plan was a sure-fire fail, leaving Zora out to get me again and Josh probably helping her. That would be scary. And if Chad got his wrong, he'd only have Sara hunting him down. And maybe not, considering Sara isn't the revenge type.

I sigh. Great. I've upset the love of my life. How stupid can you get? And now I've placed him in a bet that if he loses he also loses his pride, his dream, and possibly his name too, coz he'll be on, as he used to call us, "Chuckle City". That will not be good for his kinda-bad boy rep.

Oops.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mom arrives home with the groceries. She notices my bad mood immediately.

"Sonny?" She asks, "What's wrong?"

I shrug, "Why does something have to be wrong?"

She glares at me, "_Is_ something wrong?"

I blink, "No…"

She grins. "High voice…"

I groan. Darn my voice's tendency to go up an octave when I'm lying. She sits on the couch with me, turning off the TV, before taking my hands in hers. Uh-oh. Mother-Daughter talks are always tense in my family.

"Sonny?" She says softly, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

I groan. I would make up some crazy story that doesn't involve the truth, but then my high voice would strike again and I'd be in big trouble.

"Well, Chad and I had a fight…"

She frowns.

"…That was my fault." I finish. I don't want her turning against Chad.

She exhales. "So… do you think you'll be okay?"

"I…" I sigh, "I dunno. I just wish that he'd come back and forgive me." _And apologize himself… _what? It wasn't all my fault (but mostly). Yeah, like Chad would do that. He seemed real upset when he left.

"I'm sure you'll be fine!" She says, "It will take more than some silly little fight to break you two up."

I sigh deeply. "I really wish you're right, Mom."

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door, and I eye it with a freaked-out expression. _If that's Chad…_

Mom smiles at me, before heading over to the door and opening it with a little excitement (which is weird – my Mom enjoys my love-life _way_ too much).

"Hello, Chad!" My mother says cheerily. Uh-oh. I hope he's not here to yell at me again. Mom turns back to me, a bright, cheery smile on her face. Wow. Now I see why some people find my quirkiness annoying. I let out a tiny moan of worry, before heading to the door. I see Chad stood there, looking slightly apologetic and sad, but there's a smile in that mix of feelings somewhere.

"Hello." I say. Yeah, I'm so creeped out about what could happen here I can't even greet my own boyfriend(?) with a 'hey'.

Chad takes a deep breath, before saying, "I'm sorry, Sonny." I smile, "I really didn't mean to get down your throat about that."

Wow. My Mom is way too good at predicting things.

"Same here." I say, relief flooding my body, "I was just mad, I guess."

Chad smiles. It's obvious he feels the same way. "Yeah… forgive me?"

I grin. This is exactly what I wanted. "Of course." I then suddenly latch myself onto Chad with a hug. I pull away after a few seconds to see Chad's smile has pretty much reached his ears. He still looks incredibly hot.

"So… now what?" He asks, and I shrug.

"Do we take back the bet?" It's what I'd rather do. That bet was a huge mistake – I wouldn't want to leave my friends, and I know Chad wouldn't want to leave his dream either.

"How about we just change the stakes to you guest star on the other person's show?"

I smile. Good idea, Chad. After all, I still do love bets, and want to see who will win. It'll be nice to see Chad on my show again, since he hasn't guest starred since Christmas many years ago. But then… that's just too simple.

"And say that show is your favourite?" I add, and Chad chuckles a little.

"You never make it easy, do you Munroe?"

I shake my head with a snicker, before holding out a hand for Chad to shake to seal it off. "Deal?"

Chad takes the hand, shaking it before kissing it softly, and I swoon. I swear, what this guy does to me, it's magical.

"Deal."

I smile, going to close the door, "Goodnight, Chad."

He beams at me, "Goodnight, Sonshine."

I then shut the door with a goofy grin and a happy heart. Well, that fixed everything. I then notice Mom right next to me, beaming like a 13-year old girl at how cute that was.

"Mom?" I say, "Were you listening to that whole conversation?"

She shrugs, "I told you so."

I laugh, "Yes, Mom. Yes you did. How did you know my boyfriend better than I did?"

She giggles, "I guess it's just obvious now that you two are never gonna separate."

I smile, "Nope. And I think this…" I show her the ring, "…Proves it."

Mom gasps. Yeah, I actually haven't shown her the ring yet.

"He…" She pauses dramatically, "Proposed?"

I roll my eyes, still smiling, "No." I say, "It's a promise ring. But he will propose someday."

Mom squeals, "Aw!"

"You know, sometimes it's hard to believe you're my mother." I say, and she smirks, before going upstairs for bed. I follow her, before I remember that I'm part of a bet. I've gotta plan this, just so I do win. What? I do love Chad, but I don't feel like being a Falls kid for a week. And it'll be fun to give Chad some crazy outfit to wear again. So basically, I've gotta win this.

I spend about 50 minutes upstairs in my bed brainstorming how to get 'Zosh' together when I should be sleeping, planning my next break-through sketch, anything but this. Ah, who cares? I'm just in the competitive mood and want to beat Chad. I know – romantic. But if I know Chad right, he wants to win too. When we're not hopelessly romantic or in a huge fight, were usually in some kind of contest with each other – and it's fun.

Now, onto my plan. Shall I just invite Josh to Pizza Night? I mean, it's not like he's gonna think that I invited him so I could spend time with him… yuck. No, he wouldn't do that. But then… if Zora hears of my plan before we get there, like before, she'll kill me. No, I think it'll be safer to just keep it as one of those "Oops! You ran into each other!" moments.

At that moment, I think of what I'm gonna do. I call Chad, before realising it happens to be two thirty in the morning. Chad answers the phone with a groan.

"Wassup, you little menace?" He asks, and I laugh.

"Funny."

"Seriously, Sonshine," He says in a not serious tone at all, "I was in the middle of m'sleep, what do you want?"

"I need you to bring Josh into work with you tomorrow."

Chad laughs, before stopping abruptly, "Are you serious, Sonny? Last time, he almost trashed _both _of our sets, along with Zora…" He then pauses. I can almost imagine him grin, "This is to do with your plan of getting Josh and Zora together, isn't it?"

I gasp, "How'd you know?"

He laughs, "I'm just psychic."

"Seriously," I say, "You're hurting my rib with your funniness. You should come over to So Random!"

"Haha!" Chad stifles a laugh, "Now you're the funny one!" **(A/N: If only he knew what's happening on SWAC/SR)**

"So…?" I say, coming back to the original question, and he pauses.

"Hmm… sorry, m'lady, but considering that would only help your case, and we're against each other on this one, I have to decline your request. Peace out suckah!"

He then hangs up without another word and I roll my eyes. Didn't I say Chad was competitive? There's your proof.

Now I need another way to get Josh into the studio…

Chad's POV

Ah… sleep. I love sleep. I know – who doesn't? But to be honest, I'm a totally lazy teenager (even though I'm not exactly a teen anymore…), which is why if I wasn't so good at acting or anything like that I'd probably be one of those stay-at-home losers. Imagining life _without _The Falls? Ugh…

I'm suddenly woken from my slumber (surprise, surprise, a Sonny dream) by an outburst of Sonny's ringtone I Love You by Avril Lavigne **(A/N: Only hear that song after reading nangelgirl923's Love And Breakages yesterday. It's just so darn cute! Go read it! And listen to the song :D)**. Yeah, she put it as that. Well, duh.

"Wassup, you little menace?" I answer the phone with a groan, and I hear Sonny's adorable little laugh through the speaker. This is ridiculous. I mean, I love talking to Sonny, but right now?

"Funny."

"Seriously, Sonshine," I say, "I was in the middle of m'sleep, what do you want?"

"I need you to bring Josh into work with you tomorrow." She says. I can imagine her smile go weak in that _"Please?" _way she always does. Love it.

Then I think about what she's asked me, and I have a laughing fit, "Are you serious, Sonny? Last time, he almost trashed _both _of our sets, along with Zora…" I then stop talking. I know what she's up to… "This is to do with your plan of getting Josh and Zora together, isn't it?"

She gasps dramatically in a joking way, "How'd you know?"

"I'm just psychic."

"Seriously," She says sarcastically, "You're hurting my rib with your funniness. You should come over to So Random!"

"Haha!" I try not to laugh at the fact that my girlfriend has gone crazy, "Now you're the funny one!" **(A/N: Like I said before…)**

"So…?" She asks, and I remember what she was asking for in the first place. Bring Josh to the studio and help her progress her plan along a little? Uh…

"Hmm… sorry, m'lady, but considering that would only help your case, and we're against each other on this one, I have to decline your request. Peace out suckah!"

I hang up with a smirk. Wait… I hope she wasn't offended by that… na, she'll be fine. Besides, I have my own plan to progress with… which, considering I just yawned so much I probably looked like a hippo, I'll start tomorrow.

I wake up a few hours later, this time to We'll Be A Dream by We The Kings and Demi Lovato (yes, Sonny also set that. That's my Sonny text message ring).

_Please? _The text reads. I chuckle.

_**No. **_I reply.

_You're no fun :(_

_**Do it yourself ;)**_

_Alright, fine._

We continue our little fine-fine-good-good fight for ages before I realise I have early rehearsal to get to. I get outta bed, doing the whole routine that makes me look as great as I do every day – that makes me decent enough for Sonny every morning, which luckily lasts through the whole day. I then wake up Josh and Abby, get Abby's breakfast for her (no longer milk – she's getting grown up!), reminding Josh to have a shower (which is getting easier and easier now he has this seemingly-a-crush on Zora) and then leaving the house and heading to Condor Studios.

I arrive at the studio in my usual parking space marked with my name, which is happily right next to Sonny's, who usually arrives at the studio about five minutes before me. Today though, she arrives later than me. I wait outside the studio in my car just to see her when she arrives, and when it gets to 10 minutes later and I'm about to get concerned and go to her apartment to check if she's okay, her little purple car that I bought her parks in her spot, and when I notice a person sat in the passenger seat and a confused Josh gets out, I realise what took her so long.

"Hey… wait…" Josh pauses, "…This _isn't _the game store."

"It… isn't?" Sonny asks innocently, "…Oops. Well, I'll take you there later, but now I need to get to rehearsal, so you've gotta come in with me!" She then turns her head and notices me, "Oh, hey Chad!"

I shake my head, "Sonny Munroe, how do you do it?"

She shrugs, "I have my ways. And I guess this puts me in the lead?"

"Ah," I say, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

"They'll hatch soon, believe me." She winks, "See you later, hun."

"Bye."

I gulp as I watch Sonny walk off with a dazed Josh. I'm doomed…

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**:D Review :) Ooh, and Americans, plz tell me if you've seen it, what it's like. Yeah, bye! xxx**


	35. Plans In Action

**Hey, there! I just noticed I haven't updated this since So Random premiered... wowzer :P Anyways, yes, I am back, we are back, let's get this show on the road!**

**Shout-outs to some new readers - Channyforeva87 and Channylover13. Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story :) Also to zarachannylover101, who I don't think has reviewed before... meh, whatevs. Thanks for the review anyway! And that goes for everyone else who reviewed last time too! :)**

**Ooh, and there's a little flashback there, in the form of italics. Look out for that :)**

**DC-: Yeah... So Random was amazingly cool, in my opinion :P I don't own it though... sigh. I also don't own the old So Random, Sonny With A Chance. Sigh... don't we all miss it? Deep, deep down. Yeah, I'm hyper on jelly beans... reading time! xD**

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**Chapter 35-Plans In Action**

Sonny's POV

Okay, I lied to Josh to get him to come to the studio. I told him we were going to the computer game store, just to help me win a bet. Now, that may sound bad and cruel and selfish, but to be honest, it isn't. Why? Because I'm doing something good in a way, good and kind and self_less_ – getting two people together and bringing the amazing delight that is Chad Dylan Cooper back to So Random! Surely that can only bring good to the world… right? So really, this little lie isn't gonna hurt anyone (I hope…).

I drop Josh off at the Prop House, hoping and praying Zora isn't here. Not yet, she'll sense something (yep, she probably would). I fish the Xbox controllers out of the box of Nico and Grady's stuff – they won't mind – which pleases Josh. At least he'll be slightly occupied until Zora shows up.

Now, if my predictions and research is correct, Zora won't be at the Prop House until about eleven o'clock. She'll be sneaking around in the vents right now and mysteriously at about eleven she'll show up in her sarcophagus (maybe Nico and Grady were right about that secret door…). So really, I should get outta here; it's now half ten. If Zora is early, I'm gonna get caught red-handed. I sneak out of the Prop House, leaving Josh to play some game that Nico and Grady bought and never played – Left For Dead or something? I think Grady's fear of zombies is back though. Yep, I've given up keeping Josh from war games and zombie games and such. It's like convincing a mouse not to eat cheese, a bee not to sting people. It's an impossible task. Oh well… some day he'll ditch gory video games and move onto, as Chad says, "things that matter". Hey, we can only hope…

I decide that instead of watching Josh yell "die" at pixels on a screen, I should visit my fellow schemer, Chad Dylan Cooper. A.k.a. – my dearest boyfriend. I head towards the Mack Falls set, waving at the bodyguard who greets me and smiles at my presence. I love being accepted here – ever since Chad and I started dating again my presence at The Falls is expected, no, _assured_. Sure, the other Falls kids aren't used to the idea (even though it's been freaking _years_), but they don't hate me anymore… I think. I hope…

I walk into the set, a not-so normal scene going on – random girls that I've never seen on the cast running round, begging for more make-up time; a couple of guys with clipboards walking round, calling out names as the nervous teens get up and walk to face their judgement day – and I guess they're doing auditions for those girls who are up to play Mackenzie's half-cousin. I can't see Chad though, and I remember that he was gonna help Sara. Of course; that's his side of our bet. I decide to check with his producer, Kate, who confirms he's in his dressing room. Something tells me Sara's with him. I wonder happily towards Chad's dressing room, hearing the yelling from evil producers and directors. A girl runs out of a room, crying. Ooh, these judges seem harsh. I just hope Chad prepares Sara well enough. Well, let's go take a look…

Chad's POV

I run my hands through my hair in frustration as Sara messes up a line _again_. Is it this hard to give a monologue if you're not an expert in it, like me? Wow, I sure did draw the short straw here – Sonny's got it easy on this bet, compared to me. What was I thinking? Challenging Sonny to this? She has a formal, fully-constructed plan, and I'm making it up as I go along. Suffice to say, making it up as you go along isn't working, which is annoying, because I'm a great improviser.

I just noticed how bigheaded those sentences sounded…

But still, why do I suck at this simple challenge which is _all_ about improvising?

"Okay…" I sigh at Sara, hoping my hair hasn't gained the resemblance of a bird's nest, or my pits aren't sweating. That would be very unattractive and _embarrassing_ if a certain ball of Sonshine decided to come and spy on my progress. Ugh, this reminds me of that time with Gassie the dog… let's just hope Sara doesn't die in the middle of the scene… or _play _dead… that was an annoying day, I tell ya….

* * *

_I paced in my dressing room, panicking. What the heck was I meant to do? Gassie the Farting Dog had died en minutes ago, in my care. What were the Randoms gonna say? They still needed that dog for their stupid movie! They'd probably get me arrested because they believed I'd murdered him to wreck their little movie hopes and dreams. And what about his trainer? She'd make sure my execution was assured, and if not, the glares she'd send me would sure kill me off anyway. _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die… _was all I could think._

_I then heard a knock on my door and I jumped back in shock, then gulped. 'What if it's Sonny, come to get the dog back?' I thought, 'What am I gonna tell her? I can't bare to see her upset about that dog again…'. _

_I opened the door to see her sweet, innocent face looking at me with sparkling eyes and that made me nervous. Even though we weren't dating at that point, I did kinda like her, and just being round her made me a little nervous or uncomfortable, but at the same time, happy and safe. Apart from now, of course, coz I had to admit that I'd… _killed_ a farting dog that she was so fond of. _

"_Hey, Chad!" She grinned, "I'm here to pick up Gassie! We need him for rehearsals."_

_Shoot. I was gonna die. Probably when she broke down crying, coz I couldn't bare to see Sonny cry at something I'd said or done. I still can't now. I used to think that making Sonny cry like kicking a puppy (note – puppy shover was a lie) – kinda satisfying beforehand but afterwards, when she starts whimpering, you hate yourself for it._

"_Uh…" I decided to play dumb. "Gassie?"_

_She glared at me, "Yes. Gassie… you know?" I shook my head, and she sighed, before putting on a bright smile and chirping, "…Gassie! The amazing farting dog!" She said that last bit with such a weird, show-business tone that it should've been annoying, but being Sonny, it wasn't. _

"_The… dog?" I ask, and she groaned, stepping past me and inviting herself in. _

"_Gosh, Chad," She moaned, "You can be dumb at times." _Ha! So she was buying it! _"Remember? I let you borrow him so you could test out your directing skills? It was only two hours ago, you're not a fish, you know? You have a long-memory span, of what I know."_

_By her facial expressions I could that she was a little mad and getting impatient, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh as well, which was confusing. _

"_Uh…" I made up a story, "…I think I bumped my head… what's your name again?"_

_She laughed, "Chad, I know you're joking."_

_I decided to go on with the act – I'd rather this than have Sonny break down crying again in front of me. _

"…_Who's Chad?"_

"_C'mon, Chad," She rolled her eyes, "You're not that good of an actor."_

"_AM TOO!" I yelled, my lie unfolding, and Sonny grinned, having finally proved I was making it up. _

"_Ah-ha!" She grinned, "So where is he?" I paused, my mouth gapping open, and she groaned, "GASSIE?"_

"_HE DIED!" I yelled back, and her eyes, and mouth, opened wide._

"_W…What?"_

"_He… died." I repeat, my voice softer. Then those sad, you-just-kicked-a-puppy-eyes begin to make me nervous._

"_Sonny, I'm so sorry…"_

_I head towards her, going to hug her, but she pushes me away, and I feel sick. _

"_I… I can't believe this…" She frowned, before looking up at me with blurring eyes, "I can't believe that… you actually fell for it!"_

_She grinned at that point and my heart suddenly dropped. What the heck was going on?_

"_Fell for what?" I asked, and she smiled, walking away from me._

"_Allow me to present to you… the incredible actor, Mr Gassie!"_

_At that point, a big, furry dog walked in, and I immediately freaked out. What the…? Then I realised… they'd been joking the whole time._

"_You… tricked me?" I asked, and Sonny grinned._

"_I believe you prefer… Celebrity practical joke'd, suckah!"_

_That made me nervous. I covered my bird's nest hair in a frenzy and Sonny laughed._

"_You brought cameras?" I yelled._

"_No," Sonny said, "Don't worry, Chad, no cameras, no-one's gonna see this. It's just between us." She walked closer to me, so close that I could smell her perfume, see the twinkle in her eyes. That made me suddenly very hot and clammy. "But… uh… for the record, maybe you should rake a comb through that hair."_

_I then held my head, before racing round to find said comb. Sonny chuckled, stopping me._

"_Don't worry," She said, "You still look as great and as _egoistical _as ever."_

_I chuckled, trying to take that as a compliment. "Thanks," I grinned, "…I think."_

_Sonny laughed, nervously, and I smirked. She cleared her throat loudly, making the space between us a little bigger, before smiling, "Uh… I should probably get back to rehearsal – the guys will want me and Gassie back for the sketch."_

"_Alright…" I said, sensing her urge to leave as quickly as possible. "I'll catch you later then?"_

_She smiled softly, "Sure. See ya, Chad."_

_She then kissed me on the cheek, before walking off, Gassie at her heels. She turned back and waved just to see me feeling the spot she'd kissed, and giggled._

_Well… that went well. _

* * *

Aw… you know, part of me misses those times – the times when Sonny and I were young, and, unbeknownst to everyone (including us), in love; the times when I was a jerk, sure, but it was fun. And Sonny and my flirt-fights were so enjoyable. Only part of me misses it though, coz the rest of me is just happy, glad, and content with life. Back then, I didn't have a girlfriend who adored me, I didn't have as big a fan base as I do now (thank you, Sonny fans), and I've gained a few… ugh… _friends _since then too. Also, now, CDC is almost totally gone, and I don't miss him, not one bit.

What I do miss is the almost stress-free life (apart from the minor annoyances from the Randoms) – the days when I had a Mom, well, _my _Mom, when I didn't have to take care of my siblings. Now Dad and Melanie have moved out, it's just me and the kids (when Sonny's not about). It's hard, but I'm trying, I really am. I sure could get used to the lifestyle of a father, it's pretty fun. Maybe, someday, Sonny and I will have a kid. Hopefully, a girl. I dunno why, but I want a girl. Hmm, I bet she'd have her mother's beautiful looks…

"Chad? Wake up!"

"Huh?"

I 'wake up' to see Sara glaring at me, hands on hips.

"…Well?" She asks.

"Well what?"

She gasps, "Were you not listening to anything I just said?"

"Sorry…" I say, "I blanked out a bit there…"

She rolls her eyes, "So you missed me do that whole monologue?"

"Uh… yeah… sorry about that," I say, before adding under my breath, "I probably didn't miss much."

"WHAT?" She screams. Oops. Yeah, I guess I should've learned it by now – never say something against a girl when she can hear you. Ugh… I suck with girls and their crazy mood swings.

"Sorry!" I try to save myself, "I'm not in a great mood."

"I'll say." A voice says from the door, and I turn to see Sonny stood there, leaning against the door frame, smiling a little. She walks in (more like flounces), hugging me softly. She notices my hair and giggles.

"You're gonna need that comb again, Chaddy." She says. Great…

I root around in my drawer, searching for a comb, gel, anything to make my hair presentable to m'lady. Wait… m'lady…?

"Come to spy on me, have you?" I ask, and she laughs exaggeratedly.

"What? No!" She says, "Can't I just come and visit my boyfriend?"

"You can't if you're spying on me." I wink, and she scoffs, whacking me on the arm, "Joking, Sonshine." I say. "So… what are you doing here?"

She shrugs, "I'm bored."

"Ah…" I say, "Your plan's gone crumbling down?"

She whacks my arm again.

"Hey!" I groan, "I need that later for filming!"

"Actually, no," She smiles, "I left Josh in the Prop House, and if my plans are correct, Zora will be entering that room anytime now. I tell ya, with all the sparks that are gonna be flying in that room we could have a fire! Well, a metophorical one."

"I dunno," I cringe at my girlfriend's remark, "If they _do _cause sparks, it'll probably be from a failed prank and will set off an _actual _fire. And I need this studio safe and fire-_free_. I have I have a future-wife and kids at home, remember?"

Sonny laughs at this, "Don't worry, Chad." She smiles, "It's gonna be fine."

"Uh… hello-o?" A voice asks, and I turn to see Sara still stood there. Oops. "This is adorable, but, uh, Chad? We gonna carry on with the practice?"

I sigh. To be honest, I'd rather hang out with Sonny.

"Can we call off for today?" I ask, "I just wanna hang with Sonny for a little while."

Sonny grins, "Okay, then you can 'hang out with Sonny' when you guest star on So Random!"

"Oh yeah…" I say, "Bet…"

"Uh-huh." She says, in the same tone I used – flat, hint of stupidity, "_Bet_. You're not throwing in the towel, are ya Chad?"

I laugh, "Ha! Chad Dylan Cooper _never _gives up!"

"Yeah…" She nods, "You keep telling yourself that."

I glare at her, still smiling, and she grins, before winking.

"I'll leave you two alone to get on with it." Sonny says, heading to the door. She opens it, but Kate is stood in the door, blocking the way for Sonny to leave.

"Hello, Miss Munroe," She smiles, "Uh, is Miss Sara Middleton in there?" **(A/N: Yeah… I just realised I never gave Melanie and the clan a last name… no relation to Kate Middleton, the royal bride, btw. OMG… I just realised… Kate… Middleton. Kate the producer. Middleton… weird :P Meh, read on)**

"Sara?" Sonny asks, looking from me, to Sara, then back to Kate.

"Yeah, Sara," Kate nods, "She's auditioning for the part of Mackenzie's half-cousin."

Sara shows her face, and Kate smiles.

"Ah, hello Sara!" She says, "Shall we get to it?"

"…Get to what?" Sara asks slowly, and I suddenly turn red. Wow, I forgot to educate my cousin in the actor's language. **(A/N: I learnt a bit of actor's language while watching a Sterling Knight interview. Yeah… weird :P Ignore me)**

Kate sighs, "Your audition. C'mon, let's go."

Sara gulps, and so do I. Uh-oh… she was having a hard time – forgetting lines, messing up… I guess she was just nervous. And now, I am too. _Really _nervous. Almost as bad as my audition. Hey, maybe nerves help (they sure did in my audition). Or maybe… they don't. I sure hope they _do_ though…

I suddenly feel warm arms snuggle around me, and I turn to see Sonny, eying me with a sweet look.

"You okay, babe?" She asks me, and I sigh.

"I have a feeling that I'll need you to come up with some sketches that won't make me look too stupid."

"Aw, Chad…" She says, "You know I have to embarrass you as much as possible." She winks, and I sigh. "I'm kidding," She smiles, "Just… have a little faith in her, okay? She'll do fine."

I sigh, "I sure hope so."

"Yeah…" Sonny says, kissing me on the cheek. I'm about to kiss her back when we hear a slight explosion coming from the distance. It sounded like it was coming from…

The Prop House.

Sonny and I turn to each other, both with worry in our eyes, before running straight for the door and to the Prop House.

Uh-oh…

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**LOL ;) Yeah, so a little bit of that was meaningless waffle (lol ;)) but yeah... Review! :D**

**Me is out ;)**


	36. Zosh Verses Paparazzi!

**Hey y'all! I'm updating again, ain't that neat?**

**Yeah, so, before you guys read this chapter, I have a request. Before you read this chapter, go read nangelgirl923's story _When Paparazzi Invade. _Seriously. Because it's based on this story and you won't get this chapter if you don't read it (so, read it before or after reading this... get it?)**

**Yeah, so, we've kinda collaberated on this (I guess?) So I hope you enjoy it. Credit for, like, half of this chapter goes to nangelgirl923 because the paparazzi-based plotline is pretty much hers (I guess, again). And like she did with mine, I shall put the words she made up in bold.**

**Hope you enjoy it though! :D**

**DC-: I don't own SWAC, or nangelgirl923's dialogue, or nangelgirl923 (obviously). Once you've read When Paparazzi Invade it will make more sense.**

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**Chapter 36-Zosh Verses Paparazzi!**

Zora's POV **(A/N: I've always wanted to do this! :D)**

I arrive at Condor Studios, and, as usual, my immediate entertainment is to crawl through the vents. Okay, so I still like crawling through the vents and I'm fourteen… whatever! Of what I know (and, being the sneaky person I am, I know a lot) Sonny and Chad still watch Pauly and Pals… and they're both almost nineteen! I rest my case.

I don't even know _why _I crawl through the vents. I guess it just gives me time to think about stuff. I don't know what kinda stuff… sketches, friends, anything really. Weirdly, today, I was thinking about Chad (ugh) and Sonny (that makes it slightly better since I consider Sonny to be the sister I never had. All I had was an annoying brother… I repeat – ugh). And then those random thoughts developed into prank ideas (not on Sonny, on Chad and the Falls kids), which then made me think of Josh and the many pranks we've pulled off together, whether they were successful or… not so successful. Okay, so one time we accidentally shaved Chad's hair and he ended up looking like one of the kids in concentration camps from World War Two (he had the frown to match). Sonny may have been mad, but we told her it was an accident and gave her sad-kid faces and she was a sucker for it. Ah, I love pranking with Josh.

A few minutes go by of random crawling through the vents when I arrive just above the Prop House, where I hear a sudden blare of game music. Hmm… that's weird… Nico and Grady are usually in the cafeteria getting fro-yo right now. I know Sonny and Tawni would never touch those games, and it's not like Chad would either, even though I'd have no idea why he'd even be in here if Sonny wasn't.

I peered through the holes in the vent to see a dark-haired boy sat on the couch, yelling "die" at the TV, and I gulp. _Intruder. _Uh-oh…

I decide not to panic… everything's gonna be fine. I can take this guy. All I need is glue, itching powder, and a sample of his hair…

As I think of my plan, I hear a sudden shudder, followed by a creek. I then notice I'm sat on the door **(A/N: I guess? Dunno what it's called)** of the vent, and with a shudder and a crash, it opens, and I tumble down onto the couch next to this boy (note to self - you are bigger than you used to be), who jumps back in a familiar way that I've seen Pooper do a thousand times. Luckily, I've had a heck of a lot of practice in tuck-and-roll, so apart from a small pain on my shoulder, I'm okay. But this intruder isn't gonna be…

"Oh my God…" He says, "Are you okay?"

I look up, taking a karate pose, but I stop when I see that the intruder is really…

"Josh?" I ask, "What the heck are you doing here?"

He sighs, "To be honest, I really don't know. Sonny said she was gonna take me to a game store…"

"Sonny?" I ask, and he nods. I smile… that twisted labyrinth that is Sonny's mind. "Say no more."

He smiles, before turning back to face the TV. I copy him.

"So, whatcha playing?" I ask.

"I don't know," He shrugs, "Some over-aged zombie game."

I roll my eyes, "You're obsessed."

He laughs, "Guilty as charged."

Then there's a random, awkward silence, and I gulp. This is seriously weird…

"So…" Josh breaks the silence a few seconds later, "Uh… how are you?"

I smile, "Uh, good. Good… and you?"

"Good." He smiles, and I chuckle a little.

"…Great." I say, "So… uh…"

I feel my face turn red and I turn away, embarrassed. Luckily, Josh isn't looking. This is weird… are we… having a moment? I've never been into boys before… well, except Wesley, but that was a failure. I guess I'm just having fun with Josh… just friends… surely?

"Hey?" Josh asks, and I turn to face him. "Zora?"

My heart starts thumping weirdly, "…Yeah?"

He smiles a little, "You look really cool today. Kinda… pretty."

My heart flutters, and I try to stop myself from looking like a love-struck idiot.

"Hehee… thanks…"

Didn't work.

I start to recognise this from cheesy movies that Tawni and Sonny love, or one of those 'moments' Chad and Sonny have every now and again. Like I said… weird. Weird, and creepy.

But… to be honest… it isn't that bad. I actually haven't noticed before… when Josh isn't screaming at pixels, he's pretty… cute. I try to stop a smile flooding my face, but it _really _doesn't work. In fact, I even feel a blush creep up on my cheeks.

It's at that moment when we hear a burst of noise from the door, and we turn to see three grown men stood in the door. I jump away from Josh in shock and immediately recognise them. Santiago Heraldo, Ryan Loughlin, and Gilroy Smith. Great… paparazzi. Why didn't I lock those doors? Next headline – Zora Lancaster, making out with kid in Prop House. We haven't even hugged yet! Heck, we're not even a couple!

Santiago smiles at us, and I have a feeling he's not here to see me…

**"Hello, kids."** He says to us sweetly. Ugh, kids? We're fourteen, hello? I feel Josh tense up next to me and realise he's just as peeved at that as I was. I just want them to get the heck out.

**"What do you want?"** I ask, eying them suspiciously. He approaches me, his hands up as if to show that he comes in peace.

**"We just wanted to ask you a few question… about Sonny."** He answers.

**"And Chad."** Gilroy adds from the doorway. I groan. Great… they want _Channy _dirt. Why can't these guys just leave Sonny and Chad alone? They've each done enough to both of them – Santiago was the first, with the whole problem where Chad stole Sonny's publicity. Looking back, neither of them enjoyed it in the end. Then Gilroy, who put them on the spot about their relationship on _Gotcha_. That was cruel. And then Ryan… the worst, who followed Sonny's story that whole time she was accused of stealing and being a liar. Heck, he almost broke them up as well. They got a restraining order after that… so it was tough when Ryan was hosting the Tween Choice Awards… that awful year. What I'm trying to say is, I hate these guys.

**"_Paparazzi_."** Josh says quietly, just in case I don't get it.

I decide to play the _stupid paparazzi _game, **"You want me to give you dirt on Channy?"** I ask, my left eyebrow raising a little, and the three of them nod, over-excitedly.

I scowl, giving up the act. Who did they think I was? Some trash-talking dirt-disher? I'm not like that, even if I do have the sneaky reputation. All I knew was I wasn't gonna dish _anything._

**"You think. You really think... that I would sell out the girl who's practically my sister?"** I yell, a disgusted expression on my face. It seems Josh is also disgusted, coz he sits up, like I did, sat strong.

**"And my own _brother_?"** He adds, enraged. They suddenly gain a look of realisation… and total terror. Just in case they don't get it yet, I decide to spell it out to them.

**"You do not. Ask me. To sell out. My friends."** I say, my teeth clenched. I hear each of them gulp, loudly. At this point, I'm as furious as it gets. So is Josh, by the looks of it. He grabs a chair in the corner and throws it, it just narrowly missing the TV. Just wanting to let off a lot of steam, I do the same, growling a little. It seems we sure have scared the paps, but they still don't leave, obviously wanting their story. I growl at them, before throwing one more chair. I then look at them each, in turn.

**"This is what you get for even _daring _to ask!"** I yell, and Josh nods in agreement. I feel like smiling when I feel his hand grab mine, but I don't take my eyes off the enemy… the _paparazzi. _

Josh's POV** (A/N: Another I wanted to do for ages! :D)**

Sigh… I'm getting bored. Sonny's just dumped me here like unwanted luggage and all I have for entertainment is an Xbox. Usually, that would please me, but I feel like actually _talking _to someone. Don't freak out when I specifically mean _Zora_. Yes, I'll admit I have a minor crush on her… weird, right?

Speak of the devil…

At that moment, I hear a crash, before a body falls next to me, and I jump back in shock. I notice who it is and gulp.

"Oh my God…" I say to Zora, who's just landed right next to me. Ha, she's _fallen_ for me… now I sound like Chad. "Are you okay?"

She looks up, posing in a karate-like fashion, before she notices me too and looks confused.

"Josh?" She asks, "What the heck are you doing here?"

I sigh a little, "To be honest, I really don't know. Sonny said she was gonna take me to the game store…"

"Sonny?" She asks, and I nod. She breaks out into a grin, "Say no more."

I smile, trying not to laugh, coz I know that she's thinking Sonny was thinking of _Sonnying something up_, and we really shouldn't try and figure out what.

"So, whatcha playing?" She asks, and I turn back to the game as some zombie comes up and takes me down.

"I don't know," I shrug, "Some over-aged zombie game."

She rolls her eyes. I see she doesn't like those kinda games… "You're obsessed."

I chuckle at her theory. "Guilty as charged."

Then there's a random, awkward silence, and I gulp. C'mon, dude, say something! You're Chad Dylan Cooper's brother – you must have some sort of amazing girl-charming ability in your veins? I don't know…

"So…" I say, trying to be smooth. "Uh… how are you?" _Yeah… smooth._

She doesn't seem to notice my desperateness for a good conversation though… still in the game! "Uh, good. Good… and you?"

"Good." I say, and she giggles. Then it goes silent again. Okay, I'm nothing like Chad when it comes to girls.

"…Great." She says, a slight bored tone in her voice. _Damn it, you're losing her!_ "So… uh…"

I suddenly feel my face go red and I gulp, turning away, hoping she didn't see it. Coopers have a reputation of not blushing… so what the heck is this? I fail… I'm an anomaly in my family. Gosh… I hate to say it, but why can't I be like Chad? C'mon, dude, say something… what did Chad say all the time when he was trying to get you into girls and you didn't listen? _Compliment her… _either that or _contemplate her… _since I have no idea what contemplate means I'll go for the first one.

"Hey?" I ask, facing Zora, and she turns to face me. "Zora?"

She starts to look a little hot… not in the attractive way but in the boiling way too. Ah, so it's not just me who's nervous… I hope.

"…Yeah?"

I smile. _Compliment_… "You look really cool today. Kinda… pretty."

She smiles in a really cute way, before giggling. "Hehee… thanks…"

This suddenly reminds me of those chick-flick movies Sonny and Chad always watch together while I barf at them. I hate those movies… just _hate._

But… surprisingly, I don't hate this. It kinda feels… good. Now I get why Sonny and Chad are so slushy – it can be fun.

Or… it was.

A few seconds later, some guys burst into the room, and I growl, peeved. Great… who are they? And what are they doing here?

One of the guys smiles at us in a creepy way, and I feel uncomfortable, slightly scared. But then, Coopers are _never _scared. Maybe just a little… weirded out…

**(A/N: I'm not gonna bold them this time... you get the idea, right? Okay, so I get it if you're confused, but once you've read the one-shot, you'll get it. I repeat.)**

"Hello, kids." He says, and I gulp. See? Weird. Besides, we're not kids! Even my brother said so! That jerk…

"What do you want?" Zora asks, not taking her eyes off the guys. The one who called us 'kids' walks up to her, hands up in the air, and he's still smiling.

"We just wanted to ask you a few question… about Sonny." He says.

"And Chad." Another one says from the doorway. Zora growls next to me, and I frown a little too. I get who they are now…

"_Paparazzi_." I whisper, frowning. I _hate _paparazzi. Whenever I was associated with my brother when I was younger (before Sonny) it was a nightmare. They'd ask me random, awfully embarrassing questions about him, and I got tired of it because I was admittedly jealous of him. I still hate them now, but because they are horrible to my brother, and like it or not, I… love my brother (yuck).

Zora ignores my comment – I guess she knows them. She raises her eyebrow at them, before saying, "You want me to give you dirt on Channy?" She asks, and the guys nod desperately. She then tensed up a little, so did I, before she started to yell. "You think. You really think... that I would sell out the girl who's practically my sister?"

"And my own _brother_?" I add. There's no way I'm gonna do it – I'm fed up of paparazzi, of the press, of the endless reporters who are _obsessed _with making my brother's life a misery. Why can't they just leave Chad and Sonny alone?

"You do not. Ask me. To sell out. My friends." Zora spells out for them, her eyes narrow, her teeth clenched. Zora seems mad, but to be honest, I'm worst.

I suddenly have a flashback, of all my past, after Mom died, the nightmare that followed before Sonny came along… I have to get rid of these guys… the only way I know how.

I notice a chair in the corner of the room, pick it up, and throw it with a loud "ugh!", which makes the reporters jump. They back away slowly to the door, raising their hands in form of surrender.

But I'm not done with them yet.

I throw more various props and stuff that I hope won't break (unfortunately, I do hear a little smash, but I don't care), before realising Zora is doing it too. She then glares at them, as I focus on the tower of junk we've made in the middle of the room. Yeah… I'm probably gonna have to clean that up. I don't care though – it was worth it, scaring the crap out of those reporter guys.

"This is what you get for even _daring _to ask!" Zora yells at them, and I nod, making sure they notice that I'm furious. So I next do what I used to do with Mom, or Sonny, when I was furious.

I grab Zora's hand tight, and she smiles at me.

"Now…" Zora says, "What are the rumours that we're dealing with here?"

"Why would we tell you?" The taller guy who hasn't talked yet says, and I growl.

"Coz we're two scary little _kids_." I spit. "Tell us. _Now_."

The first one gulps, obviously choosing his words wisely. "We heard… I mean… they are… getting married? And have kids?"

I roll my eyes. This is gonna take some time.

"They are not getting married." I say, "I _know_ that."

"Oh, really?" The second asks, getting his notebook out, and Zora eyes it suspiciously.

"Give me that." She says, snatching the notebook from him. She reads it through, before passing it to me. "You were _eavesdropping _on them?" She yells.

They really look scared now. Ha, see, this is what you get when you mess with the Coopers and the Randoms.

I look at Zora, who looks back at me and winks.

"Now…" She says, "We want you to forget everything that you heard. Give us back this story and no-one gets hurt."

"Just out of curiosity…" The third reporter says, "What will happen if we don't?"

Zora grins, "Allow us to give you a demonstration…"

Sonny's POV

Chad and I skid into the Prop House after hearing the explosion to see a sight that could make anyone's mouth gap open in shock. A huge pile of stuff is in the middle of the room, three scared older men are stood in the corner where a wall seems to have exploded next to them, and, the weirdest bit, Josh and Zora are stood right in front of them… holding hands? They're gonna have a lot of explaining to do…

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Chad yells – obviously he's thinking the same as me. The three men turn to face us and I recognise them immediately – my three least favourite reporters; Santiago Heraldo, Ryan Loughlin and Gilroy Smith. They run straight past us, not before handing us a couple of notebooks. They then make a beeline for the exit.

Chad ignores them running out, and heads straight over to Josh and Zora.

"Joshua Aaron Cooper... What. Did. You. Do?" He yells.

"Why me?" Josh asks, obviously already peed, probably at the paparazzi. "It wasn't all me!"

"He's right," Zora says, softly, "It was my idea to blow up the wall."

"But… I did throw the first chair." Josh admits, and Chad sighs.

"Gee, I wonder what I'm gonna have to _freaking _pay for here…" He says angrily, and although I'm not gonna start yelling, I'm pretty mad too. I mean, what could the paparazzi have done to get Zora and Josh so fired up? I then read the notebooks and my heart chokes me up in my throat.

_Gossip On Channy to sell..._

_Abby… unknown who she is but seems to have a connection to Tawni Hart, Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper. _

_While listening in on their conversation, we heard Sonny Munroe admitting to having a 'plan'…_

"_Future wife and kids at home"… Sonny and Chad are getting married, and have children. Also hints that they live together._

I feel a big lump in my throat. The paparazzi, the reporters… they were _spying _on mine and Chad's conversation earlier. More than that - they were going to sell a story that we were engaged and had kids. Although this is not fully correct, I understand why they'd think so. Chad and I are, in a way, engaged, and we do take care of two kids. But still... why would they do this?

"Chad?" I say, stopping him from ranting at Zora and Josh, who are still, weirdly, holding hands. I smile – I'll focus on that later, after I've shown this to Chad.

"What?" He asks.

"Read this…" I pass him the first notebook, and he takes it from me, his eyes moving along with the words on the paper, and they get wider and more shocked with every word. He then takes it away from his face and looks at me.

"… "_Future wife"?_" He asks, "_And kids?_"

I nod, "Remember earlier, when we were talking about the meddling between Zora and Josh and you said that you didn't want an actual fire because you had _a future-wife and kids to home_?"

He nods, slowly, before gaining the expression of realisation.

"They were gonna sell a story that we were engaged, with kids." I say, just in case he hasn't got it yet. He just stands there, a shocked expression on his face, before he turns to face Zora and Josh.

"…You guys…" He says to them, "…You were stopping them?"

Josh shrugs, "We had good intensions." He admits, "Sorry that we had to do it _this_ way…"

"You mean blowing a hole in the wall and piling up a whole load of furniture, possibly breaking half of it?" Chad says, a sarcastic smile tugging at his face, and Josh shrugs, sniggering a little.

"Yeah…" He says, "Sorry about that. I'll find some way to pay for anything broken."

Chad smiles, "Cool."

"Why did you do it though?" I ask softly.

"We just…" Zora sighs, "We care about you. Both of you… well, you more than Cooper, Sonny."

"Harsh…" Chad whispers.

"But… we were only trying to protect you guys," She continues, "They wanted us to dish dirt on you… I wasn't gonna do that to my friends."

I smile, "You really are an awesome friend, Zora." I say, hugging her tightly, and I feel her smile.

"I know!" She squeaks. We then pull away from the hug, and turn to see Chad and Josh smiling at each other.

"Thanks, bro." Chad says after an awkward silence, shuffling his feet around as if kicking a can about, and Josh smiles a little.

"You're welcome."

I then grin as the two hug it out. It seems like these guys are finally getting along again.

"Now…" Chad says, pulling away from the awkward, but sweet, hug. "…I think you guys have some _more _explaining to do."

I laugh. I guess he's noticed the hand-holding too. Zora blushes a little, and Josh looks down at the floor, smiling stupidly. They then grab each other's hands in an adorable little way.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory, Chad." I grin, "…I win."

Chad sighs, "I guess you have…"

"Guys?"

A small voice comes from the doorway, and we turn to see Sara stood there, her expression difficult to read.

"Sara?" Chad asks, quietly, "How'd the audition go?"

She looks up, sad, and I feel really bad but really good at the same time. Something tells me Chad's gonna be on So Random next week. Huh, it's not as satisfying as I hoped. Or maybe…

She then laughs, her sad look breaking completely.

"I did it!" She laughs, "I got the part!"

* * *

**OMG! So they both won? Or they both lost? **

**...YAY!**

**So yeah, if you haven't yet, go read When Paparazzi Invade by nangelgirl923 because it will help this chapter make more sense. And if you haven't already, read her other stuff. Seriously Hannah, I mention you _way _too much in this story. LOLLAGE.**

**Haha, see ya guys! And remember to... REVIEW! We're almost at 300 reviews and I'm hoping to get there soon...**

**G'night! Or day(?)! Or whatever it is where you are! :) And remember, as nangelgirl923 says (I'm obsessed) reviews are love! ;D**


	37. Rumours Are Spread

**WOW! How long's it been? Long enough, I'd say...**

**Well, as some of you may have noticed, I changed the story's rating to a T rather than a K+. I don't think that will bother anyone but if it does... sorry! But I had an idea for this chapter and a few more chapters that shows a more... grown up(?) side to Channy... kinda. Well, you'll see when you read. **

**Uh, warning. Some of this is random waffle, some is coz I was totally unsure of how to link point A (where we left off) to point B (you'll see soon enough). So, forgive, like, half of this chapter for it's lack in stuff-ness (my new word :P)**

**I don't own SWAC. I also don't own Avril Lavigne, as her songs mentioned a couple of times in this chapter. Oh, and Taylor Swift :)**

**Have fun a'readin'! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 37-Rumours Are Spread**

_Previously…_

_She then laughs, her sad look breaking completely._

"_I did it!" She laughs, "I got the part!"_

Chad's POV

"What?"

Sonny and I pretty much scream the same thing. Probably from amazement, or just pure shock of the coincidence. I then break out into a smile while Sonny's mouth drops.

"I'm so proud of you!" I grin, high-fiving my cousin (yes, she is now _officially _family in more than one way – real family and acting family) and she grins. Sonny still remains motionless, almost in shock.

"Thanks for the support, Sonny!" Sara says sarcastically, and I laugh.

"Don't worry, Sara," I say, "She'd just peed that she now has to join us for a week at the Falls."

"Nuh-uh!" Sonny yells, finally _waking up _from her trance. "I won, actually."

"What do you mean?" Sara asks, and I sigh, realising she, Josh and Zora didn't know of our little bet…

"Oh, it was just a little bet between us," I say, "That… I won."

"Actually, I won." Sonny counters.

"Actually," Zora interrupts, "You drew. Duh."

"How do you know?" I ask, hoping my tone isn't too harsh. I just want to win! Sonny does always look hot in the Mackenzie Falls academy outfits…

"Cause your stakes are obvious." She says. "Chad was meant to help Sara get the part in Mackenzie Falls, and Sonny had to get me and Josh together. And considering those two things happened at pretty much at same time, you drew."

I roll my eyes, "You know you're _way_ too smart, right, Zora?"

"I've been told." She winks.

I sigh, turning to Sonny, "Well, I'm guessing I'm gonna be on So Random next week."

"And I'll be on Mackenzie Falls…" She adds, "Well, this turned out totally unexpectedly…"

"Yeah…" I say. _This is totally awkward… _"So… what now?"

"Well, we're gonna need to ask Marshall if you can come on So Random…" Sonny points out. "And then if we go to Kate and ask her if I can be on Mackenzie Falls."

"Good point," I say, "Maybe we should've asked them _before _we made the bet… if they say no it'll kind of have been a waste of time…"

"Well, we'll see…" Sonny says, linking her arm in mine and grinning in an over-the-top but cute way, "Anyone wanna come with us?"

"We were kind of in the middle of something…" Zora says, motioning towards Josh. Ah, I get what she's saying. Ew. Young love is kinda creepy. Sonny doesn't seem to agree though.

"Ah… I get ya!" She laughs, winking, "You two have fun now!"

"What about you, Sara?" I ask, trying to take my thoughts off of the possibility that Zora and Josh may be kissing after we've left…

"I'm gonna go practice my lines," She says, "Good luck with that though!"

"Thanks!" Sonny chirps before dragging me out of the room by the arm. I forgot how strong that girl is… ouch.

* * *

"Okay," She says cheerily as we approach Marshall Pike's office, "This is gonna be easy. All we gotta do is tell him that it might help calm the rivalry."

"Yeah, there's a problem there," I say, after thinking of the obvious, "The rivalry isn't that big a deal anymore."

Sonny shrugs, "We can still tell him that! And if not, I'm sure my puppy-dog eyes will seal the deal…"

"Aw…" I laugh, "Yes, they will…" I then wrap my arms around her (which makes her squeal because I reach for under her pits), laughing. I then get the idea of a silly little nickname that will make her swoon, "…Wifey."

I then wink and Sonny laughs like a nut-job (a cute nut-job, that is). Haha, she still digs me and my silly little nicknames after all this time… and I dig her back.

Everything works out just fine. Mr Pike accepts our offer with open arms, pretty much begging me to be a guest star, because he was in desperate need of one. So, I'll be on So Random next Friday… I hate to say it, but I can't wait!

My show was less welcoming to the idea – Kate said since Sara was making her début on next week's show, it would be awkward to add in another new character. I just convinced her to make Sonny's character Sara's character's sister or something, which is pretty believable because they're quite alike. Although they have different eye color and hair color, their faces look the same (only Sonny's is prettier) and they have totally similar mannerisms. For example, they're both extremely kind, funny, and both of their voices go high when they're lying.

And just because Kate still wouldn't agree when I pointed that out, I threatened to quit and she jumped to the idea like it was the greatest idea ever. Something tells me it'll still be some boring plotline about whether Mackenzie chooses the new girl or Chloe. Boring…

"I _still_ can't believe you threatened to quit the Falls!" Sonny moans on the way home, "You love the Falls!"

"Yeah," I shrug, "But I love you more. Plus, I stick to my promises, and that bet of ours was a promise." I give her serious eyes at the _stick to promises _bit, glaring a little at her ring, and she smiles, obviously taking the hint.

"Yeah, but…" She continues, and I laugh.

"Chill, Sonny." I say, "I wouldn't have really done it."

She laughs, "Suuure… I believe you."

We end up heading to Sonny's house; Sonny has some girly movie she wants me to watch with her. Ah… one of the upsides for a guy of having a girlfriend – you can watch girly movies with an excuse (that excuse being that your girlfriend 'begged' you to watch it… yeah, okay, I have a liking… _cough_, addiction, _cough_… to those kinda movies, thanks to the future Mrs Cooper). And the best part of this up-side is – you get to pretend that you hate the movie just to bug her!

…Yeah, that part's getting harder and harder for me considering I am probably now hooked on those movies. Sonny seems to notice when we're watching the movie whenever I'm hinting that I'm getting into it. When I lean forward at the intense moment where the guy has to choose between his ex and the girl of his dreams, she giggles like crazy.

"Why, Chad Dylan Cooper…" She says, "Are you… _enjoying _this movie?"

I gulp, before laying back into the comfy couch in a relaxed, slightly bored manner, "Why would I?" I moan, "I mean, it's obvious what's gonna happen – the guy will mess up and pick the wrong girl, the other girl is broken hearted, said guy does some stupid romantic gesture to win said dream girl back, they make up and dance in the rain. Then they kiss and the movie fades to the credits."

Sonny smirks, "Only an expert would know that much detail."

I roll my eyes and hit her lightly with a pillow. "Okay, I'm enjoying it, meh, a little. Problem?"

"Yes, actually." She says, "I don't want our little kids growing up to be romantic softies!"

I gasp dramatically, "I am _not _a romantic softie!"

"Oh, yeah?" She asks, and I sigh. Okay, so we've had our share of romantic moments… but that doesn't mean I'm soft! …Right?

"I'm only romantic when I need to be." I shrug, "I wanna keep my _wife _happy and loved-up."

She smirks, "You're really going overboard with this whole marriage thing, you know that?"

I snigger, "Ah, Mrs Munroe-Cooper… you know me too well."

After the movie, Sonny drags me up to her room, where we flick through her music books, taking it in turns to play the guitar and sing. At one point, we're heaving so much fun, we almost don't hear a thud outside, and Sonny opens the door to see her Mom stood by the door. I roll my eyes secretly. She seems to have been listening in on our little (shall we say band meeting?) the whole time.

"Hey, Ms Munroe!" I smirk as she tries to look natural, "Enjoying the concert?"

She sniggers, "Don't get funny with me, Cooper." She jokes, "I can get you kicked out of here in a millisecond, you know?"

After that threat, and much to both mine and Sonny's disappointment (we like our alone time, okay? And not in that way – don't be gross), Sonny's Mom stays to listen. We sing a whole load of romantic songs and she smiles and sighs and claps over-excitedly like we are one of those sappy movies, only twice as cute. When I finally work up the courage to ask why she's staying (I don't wanna be defied from seeing m'lady by her Mom, okay?), she says she's planning what songs would be best to use in our wedding. I try to stay polite and fight the urge to tell her that we're not even properly engaged, and we probably won't be for years. Whatever floats her boat, I'm good, so long as she doesn't kick me out (yeah… I'm a wimp).

Later on, we go outside and ride Sonshine and Capriccio (only because we want to get away from Ms Munroe – Sonny's words, not mine). Sonny forces me to race her, and makes another bet – if she wins, I let her paint my car, and if I win, she writes a song for me and performs it on So Random before saying "I'm madly in love with Chad Dylan Cooper!" (she's never said those exact words to _anyone_).

She wins the bet… as always. Yeah, I seem to have lost every bet against Sonny apart from the meddling one, where we drew. Ugh… what I'm gonna say to my cast when I drive into work tomorrow with purple flowers on a pink-sprayed car, I really don't know.

"It's only coz you have the better horse!" I protest after she wins, and she smirks.

"Whatever you say, honey!" She says.

"It's true!" I moan as she strokes Sonshine softly, "Capriccio was too distracted by his soon-to-be wife's radiant beauty and she road along… he didn't stand a chance!"

"Whatever you say, honey!" She repeats, winking, before dragging Sonshine on her lead back into the stable, and I follow with Capriccio.

"Dude…" I whisper to the horse, who I'm sure is gazing at Sonshine's butt, "How did we both get so lucky?"

He flicks his head and tail contently in a sign of agreement, and I smile. Yep… you've officially gone a little crazy when you start talking to a horse like it can understand you, and like it will reply back. But, to be honest, when you're this smitten, you really don't care.

* * *

We arrive back at the stables, putting away the saddles and reins and the other stuff, **(A/N: I don't ride horses, okay? I don't know the names!) **before Sonny heads for the supply closet and grabs out the hay to top up the trough, and all the cleaning apparatus. We have quite a routine here when cleaning out the horses, whenever I'm around. Sonny says is boring without me, but only because we end up in some fake fight which ends up in a sweet moment that she probably writes about in her diary. Yeah, we always misbehave when cleaning out the horses. It's fun. Haha, all this time, and we're still such an innocent couple…

Sonny turns on the radio. Avril Lavigne's "Smile" blares out of the speakers, and we get to work.

"Do you wanna take the, uh, _dung _round this time?" Sonny asks, and I smirk. Sonny is always the one to take care of the horse's crap. It's not a pretty sight, especially not for me…

"I'll pass." I wink, "Isn't it meant to be good for the skin or something?"

She stares at me like I'm some idiot. "Okay, first of all," She says, "I thought it was good for _gardens_. And second… what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

I blink, "What?"

"The thing about manure being good for your skin…" She then up the sleeves on her jacket, hiding her arms and hands, "…Is my skin that bad?"

I frown at her sudden insecurity, before hugging her softly, "Don't worry, sweetie…" I say, swaying back and forth with her in the comfort my arms, "I didn't mean that… I just don't want to get it on me…" I cringe at the thought, "Something tells me it wouldn't be good for _my _skin…"

Sonny then stops sulking, and turns to face me in that sort of evil puppet way, now smiling. More like… grinning… but in a really scary way. She cackles evilly before reaching down to the ground and throwing a handful of God-knows-what at me. I put my hands up to shield my face, but it kind of fails, and the hay, horse treats, and mashed in dung arcs over my arms and onto the top of my head. Well, so much for the hours of extra care on my hair this morning… something tells me Sonny planned this, the whole time… that evil little rascal…

I look up at her to see her laughing, "Okay then…" She says, between laughs, "You… enjoying your… mud bath, Chaddy…?"

What did I tell ya? Some random fight that will probably end in a romantic moment. Now, I could just let this go and move on, but that's not how this is done… we need to get that romantic moment somehow… and that _somehow_ will be carried out in the form of _revenge_.

"It's lovely…" I nod, "You want some?"

"No…" She shakes her head, "You have fun on your own."

She turns away from me, grabbing a bunch of hay to put in the trough. I grin. Time for my revenge to begin…

I creep over to the corner of the room, where a pile of mud sits, coz, apparently, Capriccio enjoys bathing in mud… strange horse. I wonder what a mud bath's actually like… hmm… only one way to find out…

I pretty much cannonball into the mud (lucky I'm not wearing designer label), trying to be as quiet as I can. I get myself half covered in mud, before sneaking quietly behind Sonny. I then grab her around the waist while she fills the trough, and she jumps back in shock.

"Gimme a hug?" I ask in a babyish voice as Sonny prises herself from out of my grip.

"No! Get away from me, you mucky pup!" She runs away from me, a whole load of mud splattered down her back, and around her waist too. But that's not good enough. Not for Chad Dylan Cooper's revenge, of course…

I chase after her once again, yelling, in a weird deep voice, "MUD MONSTER WANTS TO GET YOU!" and she screams, before laughing.

"Get away from me, you creep!" She yells, but I don't listen. I wrap my arms around her once more, as she struggles in my grasp. She whacks my chest repeatedly, screaming, "Let go! Let go!"

"Not gonna happen." I smirk, "Now will you stop hitting my chest? I have a shirtless Mackenzie Falls photo shoot tomorrow!"

Nonetheless, Sonny continues to try and prise free, so much so that she trips over my foot, dragging us both to the ground. Awkwardly, we end up in a weird position… me on-top of her. Damn… I hope Ms Munroe isn't looking…

Ah, I don't care right now. Besides, me and Sonny know it's totally innocent.

"Chad?" Sonny says softly.

"Yes, my Little Mud Monster?"

She laughs, looking down at her mud-splattered clothes (my revenge was a success…), before looking back up at me, smiling gently, "I love you more than anything in the world; you know that?"

I grin. No-one's ever said that to me before – not even my own parents. Not even my Mom, when she was alive. No-one… except Sonny Munroe.

"I love you more than anything as well." I say softly, before leaning in to kiss her. But Sonny stops me, putting her finger on my lips.

"Chad?" She asks.

"Yes, Sonshine?" I smile, and she sneers.

"Can you get off me before we kiss?"

"Oh, right…" I say, getting up, embarrassed, "Sorry."

I get up off Sonny, before helping her up and calling her "m'lady" and bowing in an old-timey way, and she swoons.

"There…" I say, wrapping my arms around her, with the faint sound of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" playing softly on the radio, "…Better now?"

"Much." She nods, before leaning in for the kiss once more.

We don't get far though.

As our lips are about to touch, as I can smell the small amount of perfume you have to be really close to her to smell, as I can faintly taste her cherry lip balm… a sudden cry of Sonny's name come from the direction of the house. Uh-oh…

"Allison Munroe!" The furious tone of Connie yells from behind my back, and I turn to see the mother heading our way, face like a storm. "Stop right there! I've seen enough!"

Sonny prises herself from my grip again, before fluffing her hair shyly and giving her Mom a weak smile. "Mom, what are you talking about?" She asks innocently. Ms Munroe doesn't fall for it though.

"You know fully well what I'm talking about!" She yells, "Your little mud fight there, then when _Mr Cooper _there ended up on top of you…"

I shudder, especially when she glares at me furiously while calling me Mr Cooper. She's never called me Mr Cooper. _Gulp_… this is serious…

"Mom!" Sonny rolls her eyes in annoyance, "We weren't… you know!"

"Yeah, Ms Munroe, ma'am." I smile innocently, "It was totally innocent."

"Entirely platonic." Sonny adds, nodding.

"Nothing goin' on here." I continue.

"Promise." Sonny grins, but Ms Munroe sure doesn't seem impressed, especially with what comes next.

"Sonny! Chad!"

At the sudden mention of our names, Sonny and I turn to face a collection of flashes and microphones. Great… just what we need right now… the little scumbags we all know as the paparazzi…

"What was going on there?"

"Is this an attempt of anything?"

"Has dating the bad boy finally got to you, Sonny?"

"_What?_" Sonny yells at these awful questions, "I don't get any of this… what happened back there was totally platonic… and besides, we're dating anyway! It's not that unexpected!"

"So, something was going on?" A tall, blonde lady asks, and Sonny's eyes open wide with shock.

"_What?" _She screams, her voice squeaking a bit, "_No_!"

As I notice the tears of anger well up in Sonny's eyes, I wrap my arms around her, shielding her from the cameras like the good, protective boyfriend I am, but that doesn't help in our case any. The questions just keep on coming, and coming, and coming… until finally, the worse of them hits us all like a ton of bricks. _Hard_.

"Care to comment about the marriage?" A shady-looking guy with a beard asks, and at that moment, I'm sure I see Ms Munroe's expression change from unimpressed to shocked to down-right furious.

"Marriage?" I ask, shading my eyes from the flashes, and the whole crowd of people nod eagerly. "What marriage?"

"Sources saw you _propose _to Sonny in Colorado, a few weeks ago." The blonde woman explains.

"I didn't propose…" I say, "It was a promise ring. We're way too young to get married, so we're saving it for later."

"Oh, really? Because then it was rumoured you drove to Vegas and got married in one of the chapels."

"_Vegas!" _I yell, "Which one of your dumb-ass sources told you _that? _Why the _hell_ would I marry Sonny in Vegas?" **(A/N: My apologies… but it is a T-rated story now, right?)**

No-one answers my questions though – they want answers, and they intend to get them. It seems they just want their stupid story… even if it's all lies. I try to remember that day, after Sonny accepted my promise ring. We got in my car, journeyed through the rest of Colorado, through Utah, then into Nevada to get back to California. Sure, our journey took us through Las Vegas, and we did drive through it (Sonny had always wanted to just see the sights there, so I granted her wishes), but we did not stop. Not once. Not even for a bathroom break (we didn't need one, okay?). So where did this rumour come up, saying that we got married in Vegas? Besides, Sonny's always mused of what she'd want her (our) wedding to be like – big, traditional, a lot of family, Wisconsin-based, and no paparazzi. That sounds a million miles from the whole "last-minute chapel" ideal of Vegas, so why would we do that?

Ms Munroe doesn't seem to need an answer though – she's fuming as it is. She grabs Sonny by the arm, ripping her from my grasp, before walking off with her.

"Come on, Sonny." She says sternly, "We're going back in the house."

"But Mom…"

"And you, young man!" She says, interrupting her daughter and turning to face me, face cold as stone. "Get out of here. Now."

"But Mom…"

"Sonny," Connie scowls, "Get in the house. I need to talk to you _right now_."

Sonny gives up finally, shooting me a confused, upset, and worried look, but over all the cameras I can barely see it… the flashes are too blinding. I swallow anxiously, before turning and walking down the driveway to my car, trying to ignore the cameras.

"Chad?" One of the paparazzi say as I place my jacket on the seat of my car (I don't wanna get mud all over the seat), and I turn, glaring at them. It's mostly their fault, this. If they hadn't interrupted, maybe Sonny's Mom would've listened to us. "Care to make a comment?"

"Yeah, I'd love to." I say sternly, not looking at any of the cameras but speaking loud and clear, "Sonny and I are innocent of whatever _stupid_ accusations you make. So why don't you shove off and leave me and my girlfriend _alone?_"

And with that, I drive off, leaving them behind in a puff of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. I text Sonny when I get the chance, hoping she'll answer…

_Hey, Sonny. What's up with your Mom? Is everything OK? Please call me! Chad xxx_

Thing is, I don't get a reply. Not at all.

I arrive home and spend the rest of the evening in my room, searching Facebook, Skype, Flitter… anything to get a little news of what's going on with her Mom. I even send her a voice message.

"Uh, hey, Sonshine." I say softly into the phone, "Is everything okay? I mean, with your Mom and stuff? I'm really sorry about what happened… it's kinda my fault… sorta… uh, anyway, please call me back! Just to tell me what's going on… please? Uh, okay, see ya."

I don't get anything. For the whole evening – no text, no call, no message on Facebook… no nothing. I panic about what's going on – so much so that I can't sleep. I'm just sat in my bed, tossing and turning… worrying about my Sonshine. And then, I get it. A text. I pretty much race for my phone, scanning the text message slowly…

_Hey, Chad. Can you meet me at the studio, please? I'll be there. Sorry if I woke you up but I really need to talk to you. OK, see you later. Sonny x_

Finally… news from Sonny! I grab a clean shirt and jeans (after the ones I was wearing today had to go in the wash) before heading down to my car, leaving a note just in case Josh got up for some reason.

* * *

I arrive at the studio at about 12:39am, lucky that I have my own key for the Mackenzie Falls stage, or I wouldn't have got in, unless I'd asked Sonny to let me in, who, I think, has her own So Random key. I then go searching for Sonny – first to her dressing room, then to the Prop House, but I can't find her.

About half an hour later, I've made my way through the whole of the So Random stage, and other random areas Sonny hangs out in, like the cafeteria. I then do a facepalm as I realize where I haven't searched – Mackenzie Falls!

I run straight for my dressing room, my footsteps echoing in the empty halls. I just hope a security guard isn't hanging round or I could be in trouble…

I open the door to my dressing room slowly, sighing in relief when I see the light's already on, and better yet, Sonny's here – sat on my couch, a concerned look on her face.

"Sonny?" I say softly, and she jumps, before turning to see me. A small smile creeps on her face, before it turns upside down and she starts to whimper. I frown. "Sonny, what's wrong?"

She ignores my question, getting up from the couch and running straight into my arms, hugging me tight whilst quietly weeping onto my shirt.

"Sonny?" I ask, a little more of a worried tone ringing in my voice, "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"My Mom…" She starts, finding it hard to talk between sobs (her weeping had suddenly got harsher, and she sounded even more upset), "She was so angry… we had a fight… she grounded me, and I snuck out! I'm so mad, but… I don't know what to do!"

"There, there, shush…" I whisper into her brunette hair, and she immediately calms down, "It's gonna be okay…"

"I told her I hated her." She whispers. "She was so mad at me… I've never told my Mom I hated her! Never!"

"It's okay." I murmur, "You'll be fine, don't worry… everything's gonna be okay…"

Sonny's sobbing subsides, now just a little weep like before, and I start to hum a random Avril Lavigne song to her, which seems to calm her down. We stand that way for about 5 minutes, before I sit her on the couch, holding her head gently in my hands.

"Sonny, tell me what happened. You need to tell me the whole story…"

* * *

**Yeah, so, "the whole story" will have to wait till to next time. This chapter is long enough as it is :P**

**So, let's all review! WHOOT! We're 5 away from 300 reviews! :D Let's do this! ;D**

**See you guys! :D**


	38. Busting Out and Sleeping Over

**Hey there! Yes, yes, I know, a very early update. I hope that's good. **

**I feel like story recommending! I've mentioned CrazieeBubbliee before - go check out her story Welcome To My World. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.**

**Shout-out to anonymous reviewer shhh (can't remember how many h's) who is awesome for a certain reason but considering her name I pressume she wants me to stay shut up about it. So yeah... good on you! :D**

**The first little bit is a bit of a rewind, so you can see it from Connie's POV and why she's so... freaked. **

**I don't own SWAC, if you haven't guessed. I also, I guess we discussed last time, do not own any of Avril Lavigne's songs, as another is mentioned here. **

**Mother-daughter fight warning. And, since I've never had a drastic mother-daughter fight (I know - crazy right?) bare with me...**

**Story Time! WHOOT!**

* * *

**Chapter 38-Busting Out and Sleeping Over**

Connie's POV

After Sonny and Chad have finished playing the guitar (with me as their audience), they run downstairs, heading straight out for the horses. I swear, those two can't go one of Chad's visits without going on those horses… and it always ends in some sort of ridiculous play-fight.

I have to admit, the day I found out Sonny was dating Chad again I was a little worried. She'd broken up with him so many times, and the last time had been when he called that recount. Sonny was sure bothered by that, but when they made up again I was so glad for her. She really loved Chad. But I was a little worried – I didn't want my daughter getting her heart broken again.

Well, it sure hasn't happened yet. Okay, maybe once – back when it was Chad's father and Melanie's wedding. But Sonny assured me that it was partially her fault too, so I forgave Chad just like she did.

Then I found out he'd given her a promise ring. I was just relieved that he hadn't proposed… Sonny and I have talked about how she shouldn't get married too early. So when I heard her and Chad were, in a way, engaged, I was even more anxious of how quickly their relationship was going, even considering how long they'd known each other, which has only been about 3 and a half years. I didn't want Sonny giving up her life so quickly! But, then again, it is obvious to me that Sonny and Chad love each other a lot. I just hope I'm right here…

I head up to my room, unsure of what to do, when I notice Sonny and Chad outside, laughing, running about, Chad covered in mud and Sonny being chased by him, yelling for him to stop. Hmm… what's going on there?

"Get away from me, you creep!" I hear Sonny yell, and have to make sure I heard that right. Sonny was calling Chad a creep? Hmm… it must be one of those play fights… it _must _be…

Chad then grabs her, pulling her rather close, before smirking in a rude way that he used to do a while back but I haven't seen him use for some time now. Sonny starts to thump him on the chest, yelling at him and asking, _telling_, him to let go.

"Not gonna happen." I hear Chad say. Is he… is she… what are they doing?

They talk a little more – Sonny continues to beat Chad's chest, and Chad continues to resist. Honestly… if this is a silly little game, it seems to be getting out of hand…

The worse of it comes next.

Of what I can see, Chad pulls Sonny to the ground, before pinning her down, resting on her. Okay, now it really _is _getting out of hand. I have to go stop this…

Sonny's POV

Who knew an innocent little mud fight could lead to this?

Well, not me and Chad, that's for sure.

Mom drags me into the house, a scowl on her face, and I cower away, sitting on the breakfast table, hoping for no mother-daughter talks.

My wish doesn't come true though…

"Allison Munroe…" She says, "_What _were you doing with that boy?"

I shake my head. What the heck has got into my mother? "First of all – _that boy_ is Chad Dylan Cooper, _my boyfriend. _Secondly, I don't understand why you're so mad about it. We were just messing about!"

"Oh, sure…" My Mom rolls her eyes, and I scowl at her. How could she not believe me on this? "You're almost nineteen now, Sonny. I very much doubt that _Chad _just wanted to mess about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I yell, and she frowns at me.

"Sonny, boys can be dangerous when they get to this sort of age."

I grimace sadly, "Chad wouldn't do that to me… he said he loved me more than anything!"

"Oh, really?" Mom questions, and I nod, "Of course he did… and did you say it back?"

"I was the first to say it." I inform her, and at that moment, she turns very, very angry.

"Sonny, I don't want you to see Chad for a while."

"Why not?" I shout, my voice squeaking a bit.

"Because I'm worried about what he will do to you."

"Chad won't do _anything _to me." I say sternly, "He loves me – he's not gonna hurt me, I'm sure of it. He loves me so much… and I love him too."

"He's an actor, right?" She says, going off the subject, and I scowl.

"Yes. What the heck does that have to do with anything?"

Mom sighs, "That explains everything…"

I growl, my eyes narrowing, my breaths coming harshly, "What?" I shout, "Are you trying to imply that Chad is _pretending _he loves me?"

I get no response to my question. Instead, Mom looks at me, softly, sadly, before saying, "Sonny, go to your room. And don't talk to that boy. No text messages, no calls, nothing."

"Why the hell not?" I yell, as I get more and more furious. How could my mother, the one who was so trusting of Chad a few hours ago, who thought he was good for me… _perfect_ for me even… how could she be like this? How could she be so hostile to the guy she knows I love?

"Just do as I say." She says. I scowl. I'm just so fuming, so cross, so furious… I feel like I can't control the words that next come out of my mouth. And I wish I could, because after they leave my mouth, they're never going back in.

"I hate you, Mom!" I scream, "I hate you! HATE! If you even _think _that you can keep me from Chad, the love of my life, ma'am, you are bloody-well mistaken!" **(slaps self)**

At that moment, Mom's mouth drops open. I see tears well up in her eyes, just like they are in mine, before she goes red in the face.

"You are grounded, Allison!" She yells, "You will not leave your room except for work, you will not visit Chad or any of your friends, you will _stay away _from Chad Dylan Cooper or I will be so furious with you…"

"I honestly don't care, _mother_!" I say, "I'll be fine in my room – it means I stay away from _you_!"

At that moment, tears stream faster and faster down my face, but I won't let my mother see me cry like that after all she just put me through… I _won't_. And that's why I run straight up to my room, slamming and locking the door behind me, before collapsing onto my bed, crying my eyes out, rethinking the whole last few minutes. _What have I done…?_

* * *

I spend hours up there – my Mom has taken away my laptop, my guitar, and everything else that gives me hope or entertainment. She even found the picture of me and Chad on our first date and took it from me, hiding it from me. She told me I needed time to think about my relationship with Chad; how fast it's going, if we're being too stupid or naive or anything of the like. I just roll my eyes and ignore her, even though I'm hurting inside. Whether it's the pain of being banned from Chad or the sour feeling that I've just had one of my first real fights with my Mom, I really don't know.

"You need to think more about this relationship…" She tells me, "Getting married at eighteen… in a Vegas chapel?"

"It's not true!" I groan at her, my face lying down on the tear-streaked pillow. "I'd have thought you'd believe me on that."

She doesn't say anything after that – just shuts the door behind her, with my iPod in her hand. Ugh… she's taken away almost everything I care about! I'll probably be confined to a diet of bread and water later, if she goes any further with my punishment.

After about five hours, I can't be asked anymore. I just _have _to get out of here! I notice the key for my bedroom window and smile in an almost evil way. I'm gonna break out of here!

I root around for my phone (which I find in my handbag – Mom didn't know and therefore couldn't take it from me) before checking it to see I have 5 messages and 3 missed calls from Chad. Oops… I bet the poor guy's panicking… but I'll have to worry about that later. First on my agenda is busting out of here!

I pack a bunch of clothes from my closet, my songbook and my phone into my rucksack that I also find in my closet from my school days. I then sneak into the bathroom where I stuff it with toothpaste, my toothbrush, some tissues, and my make-up bag, which is packed with mascara, eyeliner, blush and lipstick. I then go downstairs to get food, which is the trickiest part. I tell a curious Mom that I'm hungry and need a snack, and she believes it because I didn't come down for dinner, and only ate one of the four cold pizza slices she brought up to me at about eight o'clock.

"I warned you you'd be hungry," She says to me sternly, and I secretly roll my eyes. "Nothing unhealthy, though." She instructs me, and I nod, a false smile on my face.

I put an apple, a tangerine, potato chips and a chocolate bar (I'm not gonna listen to the healthy rule _that_ much) into the bag with the various other bits and bobs, just in case I need a snack on my travels, along with the contents of my purse, which sits neatly on the kitchen table.

I then go back upstairs, to where the key to the window sits on the windowpane, and slowly, and quietly, open the window (I would leave out the door, but Mom would definitely hear that way, especially since she's awake right now. Plus, I just wanna see what it's like to exit a house through a window!) and crawl out, clinging firmly to my rucksack.

I jump skilfully onto the ledge outside my window, before stepping onto the shed beside it, shaking a little since I'm somewhat afraid of the potential nine foot drop if I get my footing wrong. I then step lower onto the fridge near to the shed, which is only slightly shorter, before jumping delicately onto the trash can next to the fridge (and missing). With a not at all graceful trip and a simple mis-footing, I land on the vaguely muddy ground, before getting up and dusting myself off triumphantly.

I suddenly hear my Mom move about inside the house, and hide behind the shed. My Mom always comes outside every night to check the horses are okay before going to bed, so just a few more minutes and I'll hopefully be safe from Mom catching me. I sigh in relief when I remember I put my "Do Not Disturb" sign outside of my room. Mom always understands that that sign means I really can't talk, or in this case, don't want to.

A few minutes pass, and Mom contently walks back to the house, and I take a deep breath of relief, before sneaking out from my hiding spot and down the driveway to freedom.

I've walked about 5 blocks from my house before I realize I have nowhere to stay overnight. I may have $50 in my purse, along with a credit card, but if Mom realizes I spent any of that money she'll also suss that I went out and then I'd be dead. So, where could I go? Tawni's, Zora's, Grady's, Nico's? I think it's obvious.

I need to see Chad.

I find his number in my phone, wanting to ask him if I could stay the night, but knowing he'd want to know what happened, I wasn't sure if it would be a great idea for me to be crying about how messed up my life is when there's a three (four in three days) year-old kid in the house. **(A/N: Yeah… if I said Abby was already four… I lied) **So I decide to ask him to meet me at the studio, and then maybe take it from there. Who knows? Maybe I'll just head straight back home after I've talked to Chad – maybe that's all I need to calm down.

_Hey, Chad, _I type into my cell phone, _Can you meet me at the studio, please? I'll be there. Sorry if I woke you up but I really need to talk to you. OK, see you later. Sonny x_

I add the kiss on the end, and a sad smile creeps up on my lips. I then look around for any signs of where I am (I don't know the way to the studio unless I'm in my car – useless, right?) and when I get that sign, I follow it, walking slowly, jumping at every sound, looking around every turn, wishing the world wasn't so scary when you're alone. Wishing I had Chad with me…

* * *

I arrive at Condor Studios, politely asking the security guard if he can let me in.

"It's an, um, emergency," I explain to him, "I, uh, left my script here! And I need it; Tawni said I needed it for this rehearsal thing tomorrow… I have to practice my lines ready for then! Please?"

After a few minutes, he gives up with trying to stop me from constantly begging (I think it's the threat that I'd start to cry soon that sold it) and lets me in.

I head straight to Chad's dressing room and turn the lights on when I realize he isn't here yet (Chad wouldn't just be sat here in the dark), so I collapse onto the couch in the room, sighing like one of those sad lovers in the movies, especially when I see the sight on Chad's side table. A picture… of us… the exact same picture Mom took off me earlier. Our second-first date, on the top of that building, smiling, laughing, eating sushi… and it makes my heart ache. How could our relationship have taken such a turn for the worse? In fact, taken so many turns for the worse? We've had so many problems, issues; it's hard to believe we're still together. But we are. We love each other; we're always there for each other. Chad would never be one of _those_ guys – try to get what he wanted and after he'd got it, run off. That's not _my _Chad. That's not _us_.

I then get a little seed of doubt though as I look at the clock next to the photo. Where is he? I walked here – it shouldn't have taken him longer to get here than me… right? Am I just being insecure? Maybe, maybe not… no. It's definitely a yes - I _am_ being insecure. Chad wouldn't leave me hanging if I needed his help – he just wouldn't. Like I said – we love each other too much to do that.

"Sonny?"

I jump at the mention of my name, before turning to the door and smiling a little when I see a blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy looking at me with concerned eyes.

Chad. He's here.

I'm abruptly hit by a ton of emotions – pain, sadness, love, joy, anger, worry – and feel my eyes brim with tears. Chad frowns when he sees me do so, and I unexpectedly (even to myself) run into his arms, hugging him tight and burying my face into his shirt.

"Sonny?" He asks me tenderly, and I feel bad because his tone sounds pretty anxious, "Tell me, what's wrong?"

I find it hard to explain what's happening, why I'm so sad, why I've called him here, and it all comes out in a blur of sobs and squeaks. "My Mom… she was so angry… we had a fight… she grounded me, and I snuck out! I'm so mad, but… I don't know what to do!"

"There, there, shush…" Chad murmurs into my hair, and, seeing it's upsetting him too, I try to calm down, "It's gonna be okay…"

I decide it's time to drop the bombshell, "I told her I hated her." I explain sadly, and at the instant I feel Chad tense up, "She was so mad at me… I've never told my Mom I hated her! Never!"

"It's okay." Chad comforts me, stroking my hair with one hand and holding my back with the other, massaging it gently. "You'll be fine, don't worry… everything's gonna be okay." He then starts to sway softly, and I have no choice but to join him as he starts to hum my favourite Avril Lavigne song, "Darlin'", to me. He then un-wraps his arms from around me, before dragging me over to the couch I was sat on before. He sits, looking at me with concerned, but loving, eyes. He takes both of my hands ands lifts them a little, swaying them. But he never takes his gaze off of me. Then he sighs, opening his mouth to say something.

"Sonny, tell me what happened. You need to tell me the whole story." **(And now we're where we left off! ;))**

I drift my gaze away from him, looking down into my lap, where mud still sits on my knees from when I jumped off the shed.

"It's a long one…" I say, and he rolls his eyes softly.

"Do you really think I care how long it is, Sonny?" He asks, and I my head to look at him again. "Please… Sonny, just tell me the story. Then I can help you."

So, I tell Chad the whole story as he asks; the fight, the grounding, the breakout, how I'm hurting inside because of all the rumours and fights and the fact that even my own mother doesn't believe me. Every now and again I see a tear in his eye, or a sad look, but he shakes it off to replace it with a sad, understanding, listening one. He doesn't want me to feel for him – he'd much rather I was happy than himself. At the end, he pauses for a minute, processing all the information into his head, before looking at me deeply again.

"Sonny…" He says, "…I'm so sorry about what happened."

"Don't be," I say, trying to sound strong, but the words come out more of a sad cry, and I have to look away to stop the tears from flowing. I decide to try to keep up my failing strong act and look back up, putting on a smile. "It wasn't your fault."

"No…" He agrees, glaring sinisterly into thin air as if he's giving someone a death glare, "It wasn't. It's the _paparazzi's _fault_._" He then groans, rubbing his eye as if to get rid of something very annoying, possibly an itch, or, knowing Chad, a tear. "Why can't they leave us alone?"

"I know, right?" I say, before huffing, wiping my eyes carefully so as not to ruin my mascara, before looking up at Chad. "I'm really sorry I had to bring you here to tell you…"

"It's fine." He says, putting his hand up in a sign for me to shut up and not worry about it, "Don't stress. I couldn't sleep anyway – I was too worried about you."

I grin, prior to remembering that I still have the problem with my mother and at that moment my lower lip quivers. Chad takes note of it straight away, and frowns sympathetically, before hugging me gently, briefly. He then shuffles away from the hug, smiling knowingly.

"Look, here's what we're gonna do," He says, "You and me, we're gonna go back to your house, talk to your Mom, clear the air, and then we'll deal with the press, 'kay?"

I smile, "Great to know you have a plan, honey," I say, keeping up the strong act, "But… I don't really wanna go back home yet…"

Chad looks disappointed, before hanging his head in misery "Oh…" He mutters. He then lifts his head, taking a deep breath, "So… where are you gonna stay? I mean, if you're not gonna go home…"

"Yeah…" I wince a little, "I was gonna ask, uh…" I put on a desperate, pleading face and say in a childish voice, "Can I… stay with you?"

Chad's eyes open wide, first with surprise, then with fear, then anger, and then he just replaces it with a smile, almost as if he'd never felt those previous emotions. "Why, Sonshine," He utters in a mockingly-posh voice, "I didn't think you'd ever ask."

I laugh, copying his tone as the tension dies down between us, "Shall we go, Mr Cooper?"

"We shall, Miss Munroe." He winks as I link my arm through his, and I feel a little more comfortable in his arms. Even if it means that I run the risk of being accused of more things by the paparazzi and possibly making my mother mad at me forever. I shrug off the thought and just decide to spend time with Chad, and enjoy it. I've always loved time alone with Chad, and I guess now I don't really have a choice. I feel a tear roll down my cheek as I pray that my Mom will forgive me… because I don't hate her. Not really.

Chad's POV

After Sonny tells me the story of how her Mom and her had a fall-out, she's walked about 3 miles, she's woken me up to talk about it, to hide… well, what was I supposed to do but invite her into my house, take her in? She is my girlfriend, and I'm not gonna just abandon her. She's been there for all my bad times, and now it's my turn.

The whole ride home we're trying to keep up conversation, just to keep us both awake, but I don't want to talk in case I bring up something that, considering her state, may set her of crying.

"So," She says, breaking the dreary silence, "Abby's birthday on Friday."

I grin. My little sister… four years old. Who could've thought it? I'll probably send her to a pre-school soon, just so we don't need to keep Josh home to watch her, or so we don't have to pay Mary anymore… just to get her out of the house, I guess.

"It's gonna be great." I say, my voice slightly groggy because of the situation, "I need to go shopping for her prezzie soon though – Mom always did the shopping for birthdays. And Dad did it last year – that was after Mom…" My voice fades away, "…you know."

"I know." Sonny whispers.

"But, hey…" I say, "It's my turn now! All I gotta do is find her the perfect present…"

"I could help." Sonny blurts out, "Tomorrow, maybe. We could go to some toy stores… I know all of what Abby likes, so I'd be a great help, if you want."

I glare at her, smirking. "If…" I say, pointing my finger to her, "and only if… we go straight back to your house and talk to your Mom afterwards."

Sonny groans, "Deal."

I smile, "Awesome."

We don't talk after that – too tired. Plus, I've brought up Sonny's Mom. Probably not good to continue or she could cry, or scream, or both. I've never seen Sonny have a PMS-y attack, but… ugh… it _could _happen today. **(Random reference – some will get it, some will not)**

* * *

It's two in the morning by the time we get back, and I'm so exhausted I could've slept in the car on the way home. But I didn't – if I had of there probably would've been a crash… not good. So, I just about manage to stagger into the house, moving like a zombie (hope I don't look like one for m'lady). I make the bed in her room that she stayed in all that time ago, before inviting her in the room. It's still painted the colors it was back that – it's kind of like a shrine to our healthy, happy relationship. Or not, as the case might be right now.

She's as tired as I am though, although she still looks beautiful as ever, collapsing onto the bed in a heap. She sure looks tired, but her eyes are lost, sad, more like she's mentally tired rather than physically tired. I let her get under the covers before kissing her lightly on the head.

"Night-night, Sonshine," I whisper, and she smiles. Usually she would say "read me a bedtime story?" or something of the like in a babyish voice, but she just seems so worn out that I decide not to wait for it.

I walk out the room, checking that Josh and Abby are still asleep before heading to bed myself. Pretty much the second my head touches the pillow, I'm out like a light.

It doesn't last long though. I wake up what feels like an hour later, to see Sonny shaking me calmly, repeating my name quietly, with a pillow clutched in her arms.

"Yes, Sonshine?" I mumble, my voice unsteady and sore.

"I can't sleep." She says. I frown, giving her an anxious look. "Can I… sleep with you?"

I blink, "What are you implying, Munroe?" I smirk, winking at her, and she rolls her eyes, flicking me with the pillow she brought in from her room.

"Nothing, jerk." She smirks back, "I just… think I'd be more comfortable with you. Nothing but a friendly little motion. Besides, your bed is big enough…"

I chuckle, "I know what you mean, Sonny." I say, "C'mon. Hop on in."

I move over, making space for Sonny on the right side of the bed, and she snuggles up next me, dropping the pillow next to mine. We're facing each other, both smiling, and I put my arm over her body comfortingly. Sonny's face looks happy, smiley, along with the slightly tired aspect, before her smile drops, and she instead looks suddenly insecure.

"…Ch-Chad?" She says softly.

"Yeah, Sonny?" I reply, and she shuffles about, like she's trying to plan what to say so she doesn't upset me.

"Did you… I mean, can you… I mean… remember when I said I loved you more than anything?"

I grin, "How could I forget?"

"And… remember how you said the same thing back?"

"Yup."

She frowns, a small tear in her chocolate-brown eyes. "Did you… really mean it?"

I laugh, "Of course I did! What gave you the impression that I didn't?"

"Well…" Sonny cringes, "…Mom."

I blink, "Wh-Why would you believe your Mom over me? Especially when you don't believe her about anything else?"

"I…" Sonny sighs, "I don't know."

I look away, hurt. How could she think that I didn't mean that I truly loved her? Listen to her mother over me? "Well… I don't know what to say then."

"Chad, I'm really sorry…"

"No," I say, "Don't bother." I then turn over, facing away from Sonny. She can't take away the hurt from that. "Goodnight, Sonny." I say sternly, before closing my eyes to sleep.

Those scenes from the last day replay in my head through my sleep, though, and I still can't believe Sonny would believe something like that. She knows I love her… right? She knows I'm not that kind of guy who only wants _one thing_… right? Or maybe not.

I wake up a little while later, Sonny's words troubling me, and notice Sonny is just getting up to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" I ask, with no real emotion. I guess I'm still tired. Sonny jumps, turning back to see me, and she sighs quietly.

"Somewhere." She says, "It's obvious you don't want me here either, after my betrayal."

"Whoa, whoa…" I say, leaning up in the bed, "Betrayal?"

"I guess." Sonny shrugs. I laugh.

"Hold up, honey," I say, "You may have said something that hurt me a little, but… that doesn't mean I hate you all of a sudden… what I'm saying is, Sonny, it's okay. Stay – it's fine."

Sonny grins, climbing back into bed with me, and I kiss her gently, before wrapping my arms around her. "I really do love you." I whisper into her ear, and I feel her mouth form a grin.

"I know." She whispers. It isn't long before we fall asleep in each others arms.

* * *

**Yeah... that last 'fight' came from nowhere, I swear. I just wanted to make it a little longer without continuing into next chapter's region.**

**Anyone else heard? Demi's new single is gonna be released sometime next week! WHOOT! :D**

**So... review? That would be nice of you, dearies ;)**

**See ya! xXxXx**


	39. Tell All The Haters

**Hey-o! Anyone noticed I seem to be updating VERY frequently right now? Yeah, that'll probably end after this chapter... :(**

**Sooooo... I honestly have nothing to say this time. Ooh, except this! The song in this chapter - yep, it's mine :) It's called _Tell All The Haters_... I hope you guys like it! :D**

**Ready... set... READ! xD**

* * *

**Chapter 39-Tell All The Haters**

Josh's POV

I wake up later than usual, because of the random day off school thanks to some fire… and before you start pointing fingers, it was not me. My fire-starter days are long gone… I got Zora to help. ;)

I spend a few hours playing on the Xbox, getting breakfast a little while after, and when I'm eating breakfast I hear a random rock song that Zora set as my ringtone for her on my phone. When I then put the pieces together, I realize what's going on and grin.

I pick up the phone, answering it with a smile.

"Hi, Zora!" I say, sounding happy for possibly the first time in years.

"Hey, Josh!" She says, also sounding pretty chirpy. Yeah, we're kinda going out – sue me. And, don't tell Sonny. Or Chad. "Just a quick question – have you seen Sonny?"

"Sonny?" I ask, and she sighs.

"She's meant to be here for rehearsal, but she's not."

"Oh…" I say.

"I just thought, since your brother is like, her _God_, maybe you know?"

I laugh, agreeing at the 'God' bit, before thinking about it, "Well, I haven't seen Sonny since yesterday after the thing with the paparazzi…" I remember back yesterday morning when we blew the wall of the Prop House… that was legendary.

"Yeah… I got in trouble after that, and they're rebuilding right now." Zora says slyly, "Thanks for that."

I shrug, "It was your idea."

"…True."

"Okay," I say, "I'll go ask Chad. See ya later!"

"Bye!"

I hang up, before heading down the stairs, and then considering that, since it's 2:00pm, Chad's probably at work right now. I call him on his mobile, but hear the ring and realize it's sat behind me on the living room coffee table. I roll my eyes.

"Typical." I say. I then walk out into the hallway to get to the kitchen for breakfast, when I notice that the mail hasn't been picked up yet. Huh, maybe Chad had a lie-in? I'll go check his room just in case…

Chad's POV

I wake up with light shining into my room, the morning-birds not singing, and realize… _crap_. After the abnormally late night last night, I've slept in. I then realize I'm not alone in the bed and jump in shock until I realize it's Sonny, and all the pieces and memories of last night fit together.

Aw… she looks so peaceful sleeping! I rake a hand through her long, thick brunette hair, whispering random little comments into her ear like "I love you, Sonshine" and "don't you worry about work – I'll call in later and say you can't come in", as if I'm trying to have a conversation with her. I know she can't hear me if she's still asleep, but hey! Who really cares?

I then jump at the sound of the door busting open and a scream from a young male voice.

"Chad, you need to… AGH! NO! Please! Cover it up! That's just _gross!_"

"What the…?" I look up to see my little brother, stood in the doorway, hands over his eyes. "Josh?"

"That's gross, dude." Josh says, "No young teen should ever see this!"

"Well, that's what you get for not knocking." I smirk, "And it's not at all what you think, okay? Now… shoo."

"Oh…" Josh looks disgustedly to where Sonny lies, asleep, "Found Sonny… I'd better tell Zora…"

"Wait…" I say, "Why?"

"Sonny's needed at rehearsals." Josh informs me, "Zora wanted me to tell her if I found her."

I frown. I don't want Sonny to go to work! I have the day off today – I don't want to spend it alone! Plus, if Sonny went to work we have the possibility that she will tell the Randoms about what happened, and then maybe her Mom will find out… uh-oh.

"No, don't tell!" I yell, "…Please?"

Josh shakes his head, "Fine. I won't tell her. Wanna know why?"

"I have a feeling you'll tell me anyway." I roll my eyes.

Josh glares at me, before continuing, "I won't, because family always comes before girls… a lesson you've yet to learn."

"Hey, hey!" I say, "Sonny almost _is _part of the family now, since we'll be engaged in a few years."

Josh smirks, "Chad, with that logic, _Zora's _part of the family coz we're a couple." I have to smirk at that. He just admitted to me that him and Zora are a couple. "And maybe Tawni too, since she's like, Abby's make-believe godmother!"

"Whatever." I groan, "Just… shove off, 'kay?"

"Alright, since you asked nicely." Josh rolls his eyes again jokingly, before leaving the room. I smile contently, before turning back to Sonny. At that moment, the doorbell goes, and I groan tiredly. I can't be asked to get up…

"JOSH!" I yell, "Can you get that?"

I then notice that I've woke Sonny, and frown. Oops. She stirs a little, mumbling something about me.

"Chad… I love you…"

I smirk.

"Chad…? Are you okay? Where you going? …Chad?"

I start to see her dream or whatever it is seems to be distressing her, but instead of waking her, I let her be (apparently it's not good to wake someone who's having a nightmare. And this sounds like a nightmare, if I'm leaving her). I just hug her softly, whispering into her ear,

"It's okay… I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Sonny then calms down, her tenseness fading, and I look to see a smile on her face – the same smile I haven't seen in days. My favourite smile in history – the legendary Sonny-smile.

I suddenly hear a burst downstairs, like a tornado has exploded into the house, and when I hear the threatening voice of an angry Connie Munroe, I get it.

"Where is she?" The muffled voice says, and then there's some muted chatter. I guess Josh is talking to Ms Munroe about it. I hear Ms Munroe ask Josh where I am, and then Josh tells her upstairs. Then there's stair climbing, and I gulp.

"Sonny…" I shake my girlfriend softly, "Sonny, wake up… it's your Mom, Sonny! She's here!"

"What!" Sonny wakes up, yelling, and I quieten her down, motioning for her to lower her voice. She nods and pretends to close her lips with a zipper.

"It's okay, Sonny," I whisper, "I'll handle everything… you just hide in that closet, 'kay?"

Sonny gets up grudgingly, but obediently, and hides herself neatly in the closet. She's an expert of hiding in closets, as she told me a while ago – she and Lucy used to play Hide And Seek, and thanks to Sonny's excellent closet-hiding skills, she won every time.

And just in time too, because the moment she hides herself away, Ms Munroe stalks into the room, face like thunder.

"Where. Is. She?" She asks me.

_Okay, Chad… acting time. _

"Who?" I ask, rubbing my eyes like I've just been woken up, and Ms Munroe scowls at me.

"You know _who_!" She says, "My daughter. I know she's here…"

"Wait, wait, back up…" I say, sitting up in the bed, "What do you mean?"

Connie frowns, raising an eyebrow, "You really don't know?" I shake my head, and she sighs, "Well, I grounded Sonny for certain reasons..." _One of them being you think I'm still a lying jerk, _"…and then I went up to check on her this morning because she hadn't come down for breakfast, and she…" She gulps, "…wasn't there."

I put on an innocent act, "Really?"

Connie nods.

"Oh…" I say, "So you think she busted out? Did a runner? Made it like a jailbird?"

She shakes her head at my slightly mocking tone. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Mister?"

I shake my head, "Absolutely not! I'm just as worried about Sonny as you are! She is my future _wife_, remember?"

Ms Munroe frowns, looking at me with sad eyes, "You promise me you're not already married?"

"Of course not!" I say adding a sad chuckle to it to sound offended. Which isn't hard, because I am offended. "I wouldn't do that, not _now_! And besides, remember Sonny's little fantasy of our wedding day? Wisconsin, all the family, traditional… all pretty far away from a chapel in Vegas, dontcha think?"

I hear a little chuckle from the closet, and pray that Ms Munroe didn't hear it or we'd be toast. She just eyes my response, before continuing, and I sigh with relief on the inside. We're still in the game…

"Alright, fine," She says, "I'll believe you on that front. Just make sure, if you see her, you tell me immediately."

"Will do, ma'am." I say with a salute, and she rolls her eyes.

"Do you have any idea where she might be?"

I shrug, "Maybe the studio? Or Tawni's apartment? Somewhere like that."

"Okay," She says, before smiling awkwardly, "Well, thank you, Chad."

"Happy to help." I wink, watching her leave and smiling in relief, before, being the total lazy guy I am, collapsing back into bed, leaning back, before whisper-yelling to Sonny, "It's okay; she's gone."

Sonny gets out of the closet, looking left and right like she doesn't fully believe me, before smiling, running up to the bed and diving into it next to me.

"Yes!" She beams, "I was hoping she'd go – I need more shut-eye."

"Yeah…" I smirk, "That's what you wanted."

She scoffs, offended, before hitting me with a pillow, and laughs.

"Oh, Munroe…" I snigger, "You have no idea what you've just done…"

I grab the closest pillow to me and smirk at her, "I've had practice since our last pillow fight…"

"Oh, really?" She asks, and I nod. "Well, then, bring it on!"

We then both sit up, randomly hitting each other with pillows, feathers flying everywhere. Well, I'm probably gonna have to clean _that_ up…

It isn't long (honestly, like, 5 seconds) before the two of us are stood up, having an all-out fight to the death (not really…). I pin Sonny to the bed, smirking.

"Told ya I'd had practice." I say, "Give up?" She goes to reply but the sound comes from a very different voice… an angry one for sure.

"Oh, and on more thing… WHAT THE HECK?"

_Oh, crap…_

Stood in the door, with a horrified expression on her face… a very _furious _Connie Munroe.

"Allison Munroe…" She yells, "What the hell are you doing?"

"…Nothin'!" Sonny says in a joking tone, but it's obvious to all of us that this is no joke. Especially to Ms Munroe. I gulp – I'm dead.

"Get. Out. Of. This. House." She says, glaring at me as I get off of Sonny and Sonny gets up, brushing herself off delicately.

"Mom, I swear," She says, "This isn't what it looks like…"

"She's right, Ms Munroe." I chip in, "Sonny needed a place to stay while she cleared her head, so I let her stay here…"

"Oh, and so you decide to let her sleep with you?" Ms Munroe yells, "That's very _thoughtful_ of you, dear."

I cringe at her sarcasm, "No, Ms Munroe, we were just having a pillow fight… it wasn't meant to look like anything and if it did, I'm really sorry…"

"Sonny." Ms Munroe interrupts, "Out. Now. Get in the car, I'm taking you home."

Sonny sighs, hanging her head in shame. "Okay, Mom." She says. She shoots me a sad, apologetic, wishful look, before heading out the door. Then, Ms Munroe glowers at me, pure anger and disappointment in her eyes.

"I really didn't expect this from you. And to think I was about to say that I'd let Sonny near you again after I found her." She says to me, as if she trusted me like her own son. I gulp at the guilt she's making me feel, even though I shouldn't be feeling it because nothing was going on.

"But, Ms Munroe…"

"No." She says, "Don't try. I don't want you anywhere near my daughter, understood?"

She doesn't let me reply though; leaving the room before I can work up the courage or the truthfulness to explain everything to her. It's not like she's gonna listen to me though – I know. I just let her leave, a hole where my heart should be.

I can't let this happen… I can't let this be the end. Sonny and I are not going to end up like Romeo and Juliet (a little dramatic, but you know what I mean). A few minutes after Sonny and Connie have left, I follow them, my mind set on getting Sonny back.

Sonny's POV

Mom and I arrive back home, the tension in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. She sends me straight up to my room, stopping me from doing anything fun. I try to protest, tell her Chad and I are totally innocent. But she won't listen. She doesn't listen, not anymore.

After about five minutes of gazing out my window (simply coz I have nothing better to do) I notice a car drive up the road, and beam when I recognize the car, and, better yet, the driver.

Chad.

He gets out of the car, walking up to the door like he's on a mission. Maybe he's gonna try and get my Mom to forgive him! I burst out of my room and head to the top of the stairs as Mom heads to the door to answer it. When she notices Chad, she sighs.

"What do you want now?" She asks, and Chad huffs.

"Ms Munroe, I want my girlfriend back." He spits out, and I grin.

"Well, I'm afraid she can't see you right now…" Mom goes to close the door on him, but he puts his foot in the way, stopping her.

"Ms Munroe," He repeats, the same tone in his voice, only a little harsher, "I'm not _leaving _until I get my girlfriend back."

"Well, you're going to be here a long time." Mom says, glaring at him. "I can't allow you to be near her, doing things like you were doing earlier…"

Chad runs his hands through his hair in frustration. _Please don't crack, Chad… _"It wasn't what it looked like, Ms Munroe," He says, "Not even close. I promise. I would _never _take advantage of your daughter, _never_, and if you think I would…"

"Well, it's hard to think you _wouldn't_." She says. "Chad, with everything that's being said in the press, plus what I've been seeing with you two… well, it all falls into place."

"But it doesn't!" Chad cries, "Look, Ms Munroe, with all due respect, if you're blinded by what the paparazzi are saying about me and Sonny… well, then you don't know your daughter at all."

_You tell her, Chad! _I think to myself, watching my boyfriend stand up for me… for us…

"I remember Sonny told me once that before she came to Hollywood, you told her to not let anything the paparazzi said about her affect her, bring her down… the girl looks up to you and that advice, Ms Munroe… I never got that lesson as a kid and that's why I turned into the jerk – because the paparazzi invented me that way. Thanks to your daughter, that guy is long gone… I guess, what I'm trying to say is that… if you can't ignore the press and what they say falsely about your daughter, well then… she's not gonna ignore the press herself. She's not gonna take your advice. I don't want Sonny to get hurt by the press anymore than you do, and if you help her, support her through what we're going through… that would be highly appreciated."

I can't exactly see my mother's reaction, but her shoulders do slump, she tenses a little, and I begin to hope that Chad hasn't gone too far and just ruined the hopes that we could ever be together again.

"Excuse me, Chad…" She finally says, "I need to speak with my daughter."

Chad nods, a sad smile on his face. "Thanks for listening, Ms Munroe." He says, "I guess I'll be going."

With that, Mom shuts the door on him, and turns to face the stairs. I gulp, hiding behind the banister, but Mom sighs.

"I know you're there, Sonny," She says, "Come on out."

I come out of my hiding place, standing at the top of the stairs and pouting like a disobedient five-year-old who just got caught in the act. Mom is smiling sadly, she ushers me to come downstairs and I do so. She then shows me into the living room, where we both sit on the couch, and she takes my hands in hers, swaying them softly. She then gives me a big, long hug.

"M-Mom?" I ask, trying to hide the panic in my voice, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Sonny." She says, "Everything's fine. It's just…" She pulls away from the hug, not letting go of my hands, "Chad was right, about everything. I should've believed you… it's just what's been going on, or rather, been suspected to be going on, between you two, it reminded me of my relationship with your father. We got married a little early, and look where it ended up! The moment I got pregnant with you at 22 he ran off! I just… didn't want that to happen with you two."

"It won't." I say, "I promise."

"I know," Mom smiles, "Chad is a remarkable boy, Sonny… you're lucky to have him."

I grin, "Thanks, Mom."

We then hug it out on the couch, a bundle of arms and legs and pillows, before we burst out laughing. Me and Mom spend the rest of the night on that sofa, watching TV movies and eating microwave popcorn that we had left over from when me and Chad watched that sappy movie the other day.

After the second movie, though, a Tween Weekly report comes on, and a woman with long, blonde hair (the lady from yesterday after our mud fight) talks about me and Chad and how I "slept over" last night. Mom frowns when she watches it, sighing.

"Remember what I told you when we first moved here?" She asks me, and I nod.

"Don't listen to the press, I know." I say. But even though I'm saying I'm fine, on the outside I'm hurting. How could people do this to other people? I'm not going to lie – what the press are saying about me and Chad being too intimate and grown-up to do "what we're doing"… it really hurts. I just wish it could all end, because right now, it's more painful than anything that's happened to me since I arrived at So Random… no matter how much my Mom tries to comfort me about it.

Chad's POV

I get home, tired, angry, upset… I want Sonny back. I'm fed up of these stupid rumours, the lies, everyone not believing us… and I need to get my feelings out. To be exact, the way Sonny always would.

A song.

I've only wrote three songs before, neither angst songs or sad songs – just songs speaking of my love for Sonny and how she would be mine soon (those were written way before Sonny was my girlfriend). And then the third was _Chad Chad Chaddy Chad Chad_, one I don't think even fits in a genre. But now, I just feel the need to write something. Something to prove that Sonny and I truly love each other and that we're not gonna listen to anything the haters say.

I head upstairs to the music room. It was something me and Sonny thought of a little while back, just in case we (Sonny) wanted to write music, we'd (she'd) have somewhere suitable to write. It has everything – guitars, keyboards, random other instruments and recording equipment. It cost a lot, but it was sure worth it if it made Sonny happy and brought the world her wonderful music, and now, my music.

I sit on the desk in the corner, ripping a piece of paper out of the pad, grabbing a pen and getting to it. It isn't long before words are pouring out of my mind and onto the pad. Slowly, a song begins to emerge.

_Darlin', tell me, why the long face?  
"Your boyfriend's a wreck and your love life's a disgrace,"  
At least, that's what they've been telling you,  
My love, we know we won't let it be true._

_So hold your head high, ignore what they say,  
The rain may be pouring, but we're waiting for a sunny day,  
Hold on to what we have and stay strong,  
When it gets tough, I'll help you carry on,_

_Tell all the haters that they don't matter,  
Ignore the sharp rocks behind you, climb the ladder,  
'Cause baby, we're a work of art,  
So I won't let them tear us apart,  
Tell all the lovers to cheer for us,  
'Cause although the times may be tough,  
We'll break through the clouds some day,  
No matter what, we're here to stay._

_Oh, yeah, yeah, o-oh, oh._

_Darlin', tell me, why you so sad?  
Have they been harassing you, making you feel bad?  
Just listen to the words I'm sayin',  
Just break through the pain and keep on prayin',_

'_Cause our love is stronger than you think,  
But you can see cracks if you squint,  
We can fix them if we try  
To block out what they're saying, so try not to cry_

_Tell all the haters that they don't matter,  
Ignore the sharp rocks behind you, climb the ladder,  
'Cause baby, we're a work of art,  
So I won't let them tear us apart,  
Tell all the lovers to cheer for us,  
'Cause although the times may be tough,  
We'll break through the clouds some day,  
No matter what, we're here to stay._

_Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Uh-huh, baby_

_Who says that we can't break through?  
'Cause you're here for me, and I'm here for you,  
So hold on, don't look back, and we'll make it,  
We'll show those haters we can take it,  
Yeah!_

_Tell all the haters that they don't matter,  
Ignore the sharp rocks behind you, climb the ladder,  
'Cause baby, we're a work of art,  
So I won't let them tear us apart,  
Tell all the lovers to cheer for us,  
'Cause although the times may be tough,  
We'll break through the clouds some day,  
No matter what, we're here to stay._

_Tell those haters that they don't matter,  
Ignore the sharp rocks, climb the ladder  
We'll break through the clouds some day,  
No matter what, we're here to stay,  
Yeah, yeah, yeah,  
Darlin, we're here to stay,  
Yeah, yeah, yeah,  
So don't listen to what they say,  
Oh, oh, yeah…_

After about 45 minutes of writing, rubbing out bad ideas, re-writing, humming to myself before deciding something needs to change and then changing it, I finally have the lyrics. I then pick up the guitar, playing a sad tune, before changing my mind and making it a little more bouncy. I then record the final product, adding a bass, drum part, and other stuff that sounds good with it.

By the time I've finished, I'm almost falling asleep on the keyboard as I type a message to Sonny, adding the song on a link. I want her to hear it – I want to show her that I am here for her through all of this.

I then decide against it. I'd much rather show it to her whilst I was around. I instead copy the song onto a CD, hoping to sneak into Sonny's room tomorrow night to play it to her.

I then head to Abby's room, just to check if she's asleep (I asked Josh to put her to bed earlier because I was so busy with the song), and then to Josh's, and smile when I see they're both sound asleep. I then walk to my room and collapse onto the bed with a thump, closing my eyes and, before I know it, I'm dreaming.

Dreaming of a perfect life with Sonny Munroe.

* * *

**Uh-huh :) So, whatdoya think of the song? And the whole chapter, to be honest... I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**And you know how you can tell me? That little button down there! \/ The poor button was lonely last chapter and didn't get many clicks... so press it!**

**Thank y'all ;)**


	40. Shopping Spree

**Hey there! I felt like it was time for an update, and even though this is a pretty short chapter, and a filler, here it is! :D **

**Thanks to you guys for your opinions on Chaddy's song last chapter - including mrpuppy. Yes, maybe I would become an instastar ;);)**

**Disclaimer-: I don't own SWAC, Demi Lovato's Don't Forget, or Avril Lavigne's What The Hell. I do own the original song that is mentioned again, and I think I own Lovey Horse... I don't know...**

**Okay, chapter time! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 40 - Shopping Spree**

Sonny's POV

I wake up to a really hot, sunny day, which is weird for late February, even in California. Maybe it's just reflecting my mood – happy, sunny, bright… but it's missing out the slight embarrassment from last night's Tween Weekly show (how weather could represent that, I have no idea).

I get up, shaking off the feeling and replacing it with happiness. At least I'm allowed to see Chad now after Mom finally forgave and believed us! So I should be happy!

I get out of bed, heading straight to the shower, and then get out and go to my room to get changed. I pick out a white vest top, black jeans and a purple T-shirt to go over the top of the vest. Chad bought me this T-shirt – it has _"LITTLE SUNSHINE" _written across it in cutesy writing, along with a little Sun in the middle of it. You can probably guess that I love it!

I'm just slipping into the vest top when I hear a shockingly painful bash on my window, and I jump back in panic. Oh my gosh… was that a bird?

I open the curtains a little to see that it was not a bird, rather, my insane boyfriend, hanging onto a rope and banging on the window viciously.

"You done?" I ask him, opening the window, "Seriously, you're gonna break this thing."

"Sorry," He says, "You know, it's just…" He points to himself, shaking a little, "…Afraid of heights here, remember? Plus, your room is higher than your apartment used to be… just about."

I laugh, helping him climb in, "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you." He says, landing skilfully on his feet on the floor of my room, "Can't I come see my favourite girl?"

"Well, yeah…" I smirk, "I mean, why are you _here_? Why aren't you coming in through the _door _like a normal person?"

He shrugs, "Well… your Mom." He says in a serious tone, before adding with a chuckle, "Plus, it seemed more cool and romantic and stuff."

I laugh at the second part, "You always have to do things the hard way." I say, helping him shake off the leaves on his jeans. "Look, it's a very sweet gesture, but it has two problems to it."

"What are they?" Chad asks.

"Well…" I lift up two fingers, pointing to each with each thought, "One – you've interrupted me… while I'm changing. I could've been naked, for all you knew."

Chad shrugs, "I'm cool with that."

My mouth drops, and I whack him with the T-shirt, snorting. "Pig." I say.

"You love me." He winks. "And number two?"

"Number two… Mom's okay with you now. We talked last night, and she's all right again."

"Really?"

"Thanks to your little appearance yesterday afternoon, she seemed to come to her senses."

Chad beams, "Awesome!"

"Uh-huh," I smile, "Now, turn around. I feel uncomfortable having a strange boy in my room while I'm changing."

Chad smirks, snorts, and rolls his eyes, before turning to face the wall. I slip on my _sunshine_ T-shirt and add a necklace with a Sun on it (I'm in a sunny mood today, okay?), before turning Chad around and posing.

"Ta-da!" I laugh, and he whistles.

"Beautiful."

I blush redder than a tomato.

"Ooh, I just remembered!" Chad says, before searching through his back pockets to find a CD. He smiles, handing it to me. "For you."

I take the CD, scanning it. Across the top, 'Tell All The Haters' is written across the top in marker pen in Chad's penmanship. I grin.

"What's this?" I ask, and I look to Chad, who's shuffling his feet from side to side, looking half to me, half to the ground, almost shy.

"I wrote you a little something…" He says, his mouth twisting into a smile. "I just needed to get my feelings out about something… you should check it out sometime."

I smile, "I'll check it out after you go…" I say, placing the CD on my bedside table, next to my iPod docking station and CD player.

"Ah, I thought I heard voices!"

I turn to face the door to see my Mom stood in it, smiling. Chad links his arm in mine, just to check Mom's cool with it, and when she laughs and tells us we're cute, he loosens up and grins.

"We've been told." Chad admits, wrapping his arms around me klutzily. "So, Ms Munroe, since you're cool with me and Sonny again, is it okay if I take her out for a day at the mall? It's my little sister birthday tomorrow and I need Sonny's help to pick out a gift."

Mom's smile just gets bigger. "He cares about family too!" She whispers to me, before standing up straight and looking to Chad, "Of course you can, sweetie. Welcome back to the family!"

Chad grins, wrapping an arm around my neck like your best friend would, before saying happily, "Thanks, ma'am!"

"Please, Chad, no more 'ma'am'!" Mom laughs, "Just call me 'Connie'."

Chad grins, "Sure thing, ma'… Connie."

Mom laughs, "And… are you gonna leave through the window again, or are you gonna go through the front door like normal people?"

I roll my eyes, "Very funny, mother." I say, "The door."

"Okay," Mom grins, "Have fun!"

* * *

We arrive at some mall on the edge of Los Angeles, and I suddenly get a funny feeling in my stomach.

"Chad?" I ask as he unbuckles his seatbelt, and he looks up, smiling at me.

"Yes, m'lady?"

"I was just thinking… what if the paparazzi realize we're here? Won't that be a bit of a problem?"

Chad smiles, chuckling a little. "No need to worry about that." He says, "I made sure the mall upped their security for when we arrived. Plus, most of the people in there are either hardcore "Channy" fans or people we know."

I laugh, "How'd you set that up?"

Chad shrugs, smiling smugly, "Let's just say I know people. Including the owner of the mall, who owed me a favour since I showed up at his CDC-loving daughter's birthday. So basically, the biggest bother for us will be a bunch of squealing teens – not a paparazzi or microphone insight."

I smile, proud of and happy with my boyfriend and his planning. "I love you, ya know?" I say, and he smirks.

"Really?" He asks sarcastically, "Hmm, you never said."

I roll my eyes, swatting him lightly on the arm with my purse, and he smirks.

"Let's go!"

We run up to the entrance of the mall, grinning eagerly like five-year-olds in a candy store. I honestly haven't been on a shopping spree in ages – and I haven't been on a shopping spree without being mobbed by paparazzi for years. And, to be honest… it feels great!

First, we decide to save the Abby thing till later – we have all day – and head straight for the music store. What? We love music stores.

We walk in, smiling at the workers innocently, who try not to go crazy at the sight of us. We then smirk to each other, and Chad whispers into my ear;

"Wanna try and get thrown out?"

"Sounds fun." I laugh.

So, our evil scheme to get thrown out of as many shops as possible begins. I find a bass guitar in the corner of the room, and plug it in, playing softly at first, playing Demi Lovato's Don't Forget, and then turning the volume to the highest, singing at the top of my lungs on the rocky part. Things get even louder and crazier when Chad finds the drumsticks and thumps out an unbelievably awesome (and loud) drum beat. I then dump the bass and find an electric guitar, and play one of my favourite songs, What The Hell, singing with everything I've got. Chad notices my change of instrument, and of song, and stops to listen. In fact, a whole crowd gathers, watching, and I suddenly go shy. That doesn't stop me from doing what I love most. By the end, my little crowd has grown, full of friends, family, and a bunch of fans who grin and squeal at me singing, and when I finish, they all applaud crazily.

Then, things get crazy again. I take the drumsticks from Chad, banging on the drum and throwing the sticks up in the air and catching them, before yelling, "WE ROCK!" at the top of my lungs.

You can guess, sooner or later, we get thrown out by the workers. At first, I think they enjoyed it, but then it just got annoying. The smirk Chad gave me told me whenj we got thrown out that much.

"Boring people," He muttered, "No sense of fun."

I laughed at this.

"Wanna try and get thrown out of anywhere else?" He asked, and I nodded with a grin.

So, next we went to a wedding shop, trying on all sorts of crazy, wedding-y outfits. I try on like a billion dresses, in different shades of mauve, pale yellow, pink, and cream, whilst Chad tries on all the hats. Then he tries on a tux, and I must admit, he looks awesome in a tux.

So, we get thrown out of there soon enough, since we spend, like, one and a half hours in there.

"We're closing for lunch." The bored-looking lady told us, closing the door on us. I think that was just an excuse to get rid of us.

Next, we went for lunch in a little café. We had smoothies and cakes and talked and laughed. It felt good to just relax, chill. With all that went on in both of our lives, we never got to spend any alone time together, just chilling without one of us having to dash off all of a sudden.

And it felt good.

After lunch, we decided it was time to get looking for Abby's birthday stuff. We went to a card shop to buy the balloons, cards, and other little stuff to make her birthday feel special. I know little kids adore things like that!

Then, we went to the bakery, where we tried to find a cake for her. None of the designs really matched what we wanted for her, so we designed one ourselves. Well, I designed one – if Chad's acting career ever falls, designing would not be his strong point. He gave up straight away, crossing his arms like a stubborn five-year-old. **(Ha. You may not read this until you get back in a week or so Hannah, but that was indeed for you ;)) **

And then, we went for the present. At first, it wasn't very original – one of those moving, talking horses. But then, we found another music store, and Chad, whilst rooting through the bass's to find the loudest model (we were still trying to get thrown out), found a small, pink, guitar. He fell for it immediately, and insisted we bought it for her to try out.

"I see her as a teen singer-songwriter," He mused, making me giggle. Chad sure has high expectations for the girl he considers his daughter. "And we need to get her started right away."

"You think so?" I asked as my eyebrows rose.

"I know so." He winked, "You know how excited she gets when she sees you get out your guitar. She'll be amazing. You'll see…"

Well, I'm sure rooting for him. I can just imagine… Abby… a singer-songwriter? It sure is possible – the Coopers were made for big things. And Josh? Hmm… successful video game tester, maybe?

So, we bought the horse and the guitar, along with neat, pink and purple wrapping paper. And now, we're trying to stuff all of the gifts and decorations into the back of Chad's car. Well, Chad is. I'm sat in the backseats of the car, trying not-too-hardly to pull things back in while Chad moans and groans and growls under his breath.

"Stupid tiny car…" He says, "Why do convertibles have such… limited… space!"

I smirk, watching him, "Ha, you're doing great, honey." I wink as he glares at me, with disapproving, yet joking, eyes.

"Really, Sonny?" He asks, "Really? This horse is too big! Can't we… decapitate it or something and then put it back together when we get back?"

I gasp dramatically, "No! We can't decapitate it! That just ruins the love that Lovey Horse is meant to spread!"

Chad rolls his eyes yet again, groaning as he tries to stack the horse on the guitar (and fails). "I really _hate-y_ Lovey Horse." He says.

"Ah, Chad, you know you can't say that around Abby… she'll break down trying to pick between you and the horse!"

Chad groans as I smirk again, before he shoves a little more. I decide, to end his suffering, to get out of the car and help. I take the horse from him, and bring it with me to the backseats of the car. Chad watches me, glaring angrily at my plan to just put the horse in the backseat.

"Show-off." He murmurs, and I laugh.

* * *

"Thanks for today, Chad," I smile at him when we get back to my house. We're stood outside my house like in all those romantic moments, him leaning against the door and me standing in front of him, holding my hands in front of me and swaying shyly. "I had fun."

"Me too." He grins, "It was nice to spend a day just… together. Alone, you know what I mean?"

I nod, "I do. So what are you gonna do for Abby's birthday tomorrow?"

"Hmm, I'll think about it." He says.

"Okay then," I smile, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

He then kisses me softly on the cheek, winking. He pulls away from the kiss, only for us to start kissing again, this time on the lips. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he wraps his around my back, and we kiss for what feels like forever. I wish it had been forever, anyways, because after a few minutes Chad pulls away, grinning coolly. He winks, walking back to his car, and I watch him. When he starts to drive off, I go back inside, completely tired.

I collapse onto my bed, exhausted, before remembering Chad's CD on my bedside table. I take the CD and put it in my player, putting the earplugs in so that I don't wake Mom (who is already asleep… we spent forever at that mall, and even more of forever getting back from it), and listening.

A sweet, melodic guitar tune comes from the earplugs, and I immediately fall in love with the song. It suddenly inspires me – it's all about what we've been going through. It's Chad, telling me to ignore the paparazzi, ignore the haters, and just listen to what my heart tells me.

And now, my heart's telling me that I really, truly love Chad Dylan Cooper.

* * *

**So, what did I tell ya? Filler. And I didn't proofread either - I have to go for dinner - so sorry for any mistakes. **

**Oh well, I just want to thank you guys for the reviews last time, and hope you all review again! :D**

**Has anyone heard Demi's single? Tell me what you think of it in your review - I just think it's amazing! **

**Bye! :D**


	41. Happy Birthday, Abby!

**Hey, y'all! This chapter's update is all thanks to mrpuppy, who told me LWMS missed me dearly. So, I decided to give her a visit and update! Wow... this 'missing you' talk is just weird... ignore me.**

**I just wanted to thank y'all (again with the y'all!) for the reviews last time, I have a lot of people to reply to... **

**Frayahh, you are forgiven ;) Don't worry about it. Thanks for telling me though :D**

**StayStrong112, thanks for your extremely long review :D **

**la de da, yes, Lovey Horse was based on Happy Horse from Good Luck Charlie. You will see another hint of that in this chapter :)**

**channylove, no it wasn't the last chapter, as you can see :D**

**And mrpuppy, I will make a Zosh chapter especially for you, okay? Just... next chapter. This chapter is Abby's birthday!**

**And now for the disclaimer - I don't own SWAC :P**

**So... reading time! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 41-Happy Birthday, Abby!**

Chad's POV

I wake up to Abby jumping on my bed, squealing happily.

"Chaddy! Chaddy!" She yells, "Wake up! Wake up!"

I groan, looking towards the clock and growling even harder when I see that it reads 7:35am. After my late night last night, but I was hoping for a lie-in… guess not.

"Can it wait?" I ask Abby, finally realising the pain parents go through on Christmas morning.

"No!" Abby screams, more persistent this time. "Now! It's my birthday! Nooooow!"

At this, I can't do anything but laugh (and groan a little, coz she's now jumping on my chest). "Alright, fine." I say, lifting her off of my stomach and onto the side of the bed, gazing into her bright blue eyes, before saying, "Morning, baby girl."

Abby shakes her head, folding her arms and pouting, "Me four now." She says, "Not baby girl."

"Sorry," I smirk, "_Big _girl. Speaking of…" I then get up, my arms still around her waist, and she squeals in delight as I swing her round and round before sitting her on my lap and smiling. "Happy birthday, darlin'. You're gonna have an awesome day today."

"Is Sonny gonna be there?" She asks, and I laugh, nodding. She really does love Sonny like a mother…

"Yup." I say, "Sonny's coming with us."

"Can I have my presents?" She asks, the pout returning to her face. Ha! She sure is a Cooper, using her cuteness to her own benefit.

"Not yet, dear." I say, "Wait till later."

She moans, folding her arms again, "No fair!"

I start to feel a little bad, but then shake my head and stick to my original plan. I think Sonny will want to see her reaction to the presents – after all, she did help me pick them out.

"Just wait till when Sonny's with us." I say, "You can wait that long, right?"

"No." She says, sticking her tongue out, and I laugh.

"Don't worry, darlin'," I wink, "Not long. C'mon, let's go get you breakfast…"

* * *

For breakfast, I get Abby a shortstack for her special birthday treat, thinking of Sonny while she eats it. Sonny is the one who introduced Abby to shortstacks… and me, to be honest. I never liked sweet things, that is, until my very own sweet thing came along…

Speaking of my sweet thing…

I'm eating breakfast when Sonny's ringtone – her song Me, Myself and Time – comes from my phone. I check the phone to see a text from Sonny, asking me what's going on today and wishing Abby a happy birthday. She also asks me not to let Abby see the presents, coz she wants to see the reaction, and I smirk. I can read this girl like a book. Bless her…

"Sonny said happy birthday, Abby." I say, and she smiles.

"Thank you." She babbles, and so I write back a reply to Sonny, telling her that we're going to the beach so she should go casual, also saying that I won't show Abby the presents and that Abby thanks her for the birthday wish. When I press 'send', Josh comes down the stairs, smiling. I'm still getting used to that…

"Hey, sport." I say as he sits in the chair by the table.

"Hey," He smiles, "How's life?"

"Uh…" I blink, "Great. You?"

"Awesome." He says, before turning to his little sister and saying, "Happy birthday, Abby!"

I tilt my head in confusion. "Who the heck _are_ you?" I ask, and Josh glares at me.

"Very funny." He glowers, "Can I spend the day with Zora today?"

Ah, so Zora's the one who's got him all love-struck. I go to complain – it would be cool for all of us to spend the day together – but then I change my mind. When you're in love, you want to spend as long as you can get with that person. I know the Randoms have the day off today and it's a weekend so Josh has no school, so this might be the last time Zora and Josh get to properly spend time with each other in days (it would be the same for me and Sonny, but she is guest-starring on The Falls next week, and then I will be guest-starring on So Random the week after – remember the bet? – so we'll be spending ages with each other). I guess it'll be fine for Josh to spend some time with Zora.

"Sure." I say, before adding with a wink, "You spend time with the love of your life."

Josh rolls his eyes, swatting me with a dishcloth, before tucking into some shortstacks that are left over.

A little time goes by, and we're all ready for the day ahead. I put Abby in her car seat in the back, and Josh sits in the passenger's seat. I get in the driver's seat and then we head straight to Sonny's.

Sonny's POV

I wake up the next morning, rubbing my eyes tiredly and stretching. I look over to the alarm clock next to me and groan. 8 in the morning? Ugh…

I then look to the corner of my room, where a calendar is hung on the wall. I then realise… Abby's birthday! I must of woke early coz I'm so excited!

I fling the cover off my bed, running downstairs to get breakfast, texting Chad to ask him about the details for today.

_Hey Chad! Tell baby girl happy birthday for me! ;) Just wondering, what's going on today? I don't wanna wear a dress if we're not going anywhere fancy or anything! xD Plz text back, and don't let her see the presents yet! I wanna see her reaction. Thanks :) Sonshine xxx_

A few minutes later, I get a reply.

_Mornin' Sonshine ;) Abby says thanks, she's really hyper about the birthday thing. It's kinda crazy… lol :P I'll come pick you up later, I think Abby wants to go to the beach, so just dress casual, that'll be fine. You'll look pretty whatever you wear though. OK, I'll save the presents till later ;) ttyl. Chad x_

I smile at the text, especially the 'pretty whatever you wear' bit, taking the last bite of my shortstack, before heading up to get ready for later. I brush my teeth and take a shower, and then go to get changed. I put on a pale pink T-shirt that reads 'Friends 4Eva!' in loopy purple writing, and denim shorts, along with big sunglasses and a floppy straw sunhat, since the weather is meant to be super sunny today.

* * *

At ten in the morning, the doorbell goes, and I open the door, to which Abby bursts through the door, a tornado of blonde hair and hot pink and denim. She notices me and grins.

"Sonny!" She babbles, and I pick her up, grinning.

"Hey, sweetie!" I say, "Happy birthday, baby girl!"

"Sonny!" She moans, "I'm four now – not a baby girl."

I laugh, "Okay… happy birthday, _big_ girl."

She grins at her new nickname, hugging me softly, and at that moment, Chad walks in, wearing a plain blue T-shirt and camouflage ¾ shorts, and dark shades. He smirks when he sees us, removing the shades and hanging them on the neck of his T-shirt.

"Is it my go now, Abby?" He asks, prising his little sister from my grasp and taking me into a big bear hug. "Hey there, beautiful," He whispers into my hair, "Missed me?"

"It's only been a few hours." I laugh, and he grins.

"So what's your point?" He asks.

"I love your song." I say after a few seconds of silence, referring to the song he wrote me that I played last night, and he smiles.

"I'm glad you do." He says, before kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"Can we go now, Chaddy?" Abby asks, jumping up and down in excitement, and I have to laugh. She's so adorable…

"Of course we can, sweetheart." He says, "I just need to talk to Sonny about something… go wait with Josh in the car."

Abby beams, running out of the house and heading towards the car. Chad turns to face me, smiling, and he takes my hands in his.

"I was a little worried about the whole paparazzi situation, so I've asked a friend if we could borrow a little private section of the beach for the day."

"Cool," I say, "That'll be great… is Josh joining us?"

"Na," Chad shrugs, "He wants to spend some time with Zora, so I'm gonna drop him off at the studio, and then collect him later so he can be there when we give Abby her presents."

"Okay." I grin. Zora and Josh… hanging out? They're like a mini us, only more mischievous.

Chad nods, before his smile darkens a little. "I'm glad you liked the song." He says, "I just… was fed up of all the paparazzi. I meant every word I was singing, you know."

I smile. Aw… "I know." I say, "I'm tired of them as well… but we'll sort it out, okay?"

Chad grins, "Sure. Um, we'd better get going before Abby notices Sonshine and Capriccio."

I laugh, taking Chad's hand and swinging it playfully, and we head out to where Chad's car waits outside. After dropping Josh off at Condor Studios, we head towards the coast.

* * *

We arrive at a small car park, where Chad gets out, picking up Abby and handing her over to me, before getting the beach bag out of the back of the car, leaving the bag with her presents in there. I put Abby down before clenching her hand, and we follow Chad, who walks off towards what looks like a small forest of palm trees, somewhat like a pathway.

"Chad?" I say, after a few minutes of walking through this forest, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He says, "It's kinda hidden away – I thought we'd want a little privacy – but we're almost there."

Pretty much as he finishes those words, I see a little light at the end of the tunnel of trees, and after a little more walking, we make it out. And I have to catch my breath straight away, coz this place is amazing!

Abby goes running down to the shore, giggling, but Chad stops her, grabbing her by the back of the shirt.

"It's okay, sweetie, slow down," He says, "You can swim later. Wait till Sonny puts you in your gear. He then turns to me, a bright smile on his face, "That okay with you, Sonshine? She's a big girl now – I can't be changing her!"

He ruffles his little sister's hair, to which she coos and squeals excitedly, and I just stand there, shocked.

"Wh- wh… how did you find this place?" I finally say, looking round once more. It really is beautiful – a tiny, enclosed area, surrounded by palm trees, but the water at the bottom looks shining and wild and free, the waves crashing into the shore before sweeping back out to sea. The sand is glistening in the sunlight, like little pieces of crystal, and two little deckchairs are set up in the middle, along with a few towels, and one of those little crocodile floats, which Abby adores.

Chad grins, "Awesome, ain't it? Like I told you – one of my old friends, Jamie, is a lifeguard. I knew Abby wanted to go to the beach for her birthday, and I knew you and me needed a little time away from the public eye, so I asked Jamie if he knew of any secret hideouts. He was happy to show me this place and help me set it up last night."

"Last night?" I repeat, and he nods.

"After I dropped you off."

"Really?" I ask, "Wasn't it really late when we got back? I didn't see the clock but it was dark."

"Uh…" He pauses to think, "I dropped you off at ten, and Jamie and I were there for a couple of hours."

"You didn't sleep till twelve?" I gasp, and he winces.

"Three." He corrects, "I was having a bit of an insomniac night."

"_THREE?_" I yell, "Chad, you must be exhausted!"

He chuckles, "Sonny, relax! It's not that big a deal – I'll be fine."

"Well, if you insist…" I say, and he smiles.

"I do insist."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good." He smirks, before chucking his T-shirt off and running for the water, yelling, "Splash time!"

Abby jiggles next to me, before prising herself free and running to the water to follow her brother. Oops… probably should've changed her first… oh well…

"Hey, Sonshine!" Chad yells from the water, where he and Abby are side-by-side, him clutching her in his left arm and waving at me with his right. "Come on in – the water's great!"

"Not yet!" I reply, "I need to change!"

I walk up to the deckchairs, where I hide myself from Chad so he doesn't watch me change. I pull off my T-shirt and shorts, placing the hat and sunglasses on the side, before suddenly feeling a splash on my back, and, seconds later, a pair of arms, wrapping around me and picking me up.

"That'll do!" Chad yells, carrying me to the water as I scream and yelp.

"Chad!" I yell, "I'm not in my swimsuit yet!"

"And you look beautiful!" He replies, before I feel his hands let go of me, and a millisecond later, I plunge into the salt water below. I come up from under the water a few seconds later, coughing and spluttering.

"Chad! No!" I yell, "I have salt in my eyes!"

He smirks, handing me a towel that he carried with us, and I dry my face delicately, as to not damage my make-up anymore than it already must've been, _thank you, Chad_.

I remove the towel from my face, handing it back to Chad, before smirking evilly at him.

"I will _so _get you later for that…"

Chad laughs, "Can't wait to see that." He winks, before turning to Abby and picking her up and spinning her around. Things suddenly feel so peaceful, so fun, so… family-like.

* * *

A few hours later, we've had lunch, I've done a little sunbathing while Chad and Abby played with a beach ball, we've made a sandcastle, and we're just on our way back to the water when a girl's voice squeals from behind us.

"Hey, hey, Coopers!" She grins, flipping her blonde hair and taking her big, pink, heart-shaped sunglasses from her eyes.

"Hi, Tawni!" I laugh, getting out of the water, with Abby in tow, who hugs Tawni's legs tightly, grinning.

"Auntie Tawni!" She yells, and Tawni smiles.

"Aw, hey, beautiful!" Tawni grins, picking her up and swinging her around, before putting her back down and fishing around in her purse.

"I gotcha something…" She says, before taking out a small velvet box. Abby opens it to reveal a small gold necklace, with the words _'Little Star' _written in gold inside a red heart. It looks gorgeous, and expensive. But hey, I guess Tawni would get something fabulous for her Mini Me.

Abby takes the necklace out of its case, grinning. "Does it look good?" She asks, making us all laugh at her cuteness.

"It looks beautiful, darlin'." Chad grins at his newly adopted nickname for Abby considering she's now _too old_ to be called 'baby girl', "Let's put it somewhere safe so we don't lose it in the sand…"

Chad takes the box and the necklace, placing the necklace in the box and the box in the beach bag to keep it safe.

I turn to Tawni, happy to see my best friend but annoyed because I was enjoying out time as a 'family'. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Oh, Chad told me about it." She says, "I wanted to spend some time with my little fabulous Mini Me and her _family_, so I asked what you guys were doing for the day. Chad told me about it and so here I am!" She the drops her voice to a whisper and adds, "Don't worry though – I haven't told anyone about it."

I smile, glad our privacy isn't totally invaded. "Thanks, Tawn."

"You're welcome." She says, before properly scanning us all for the first time, tilting her head slightly when she does so. She seems to have just noticed that I'm wearing my underwear, both Chad and Abby are pretty much still fully-clothed (minus the shirt for Chad). "Uh, you guys know there's such thing as swimsuits, right?"

I roll my eyes. "Yeah… Chad forced me."

"Right…" Tawni blinks, "Well, you guys hit the water, and I'll be right in…"

A few minutes go past of messing about in the water, when I remember my vow of revenge to Chad earlier. I tell Tawni to take Abby out of the water; just because I don't want them to be part of my little revenge… things may get crazy…

So, Tawni takes Abby to go build a neighbouring sandcastle for our first one, and I plan my attack. I creep up behind an un-expecting Chad, stealthy like a shark, before jumping onto his back.

"What the heck?"

"Piggyback!"

I smirk, climbing onto Chad's back, grabbing his head and dunking it under the water. He comes back up after a few seconds, coughing, and I laugh, climbing off his back.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" He asks, turning to face me, his face dripping wet, and I giggle.

"Uh-huh," I say, "It's payback for earlier."

"Right…" He says, before grinning an evil grin.

"What?" I ask, nervous, and he smirks.

"It's my turn for a piggyback." He winks. My eyes widen.

"No… you wouldn't!"

Chad evil grin grows wider, and he strides across the water towards me. I dodge his splashes and him jumping on me, and he continues chasing me, before finally succeeded, wrapping his arms and legs around my waist, his chin resting delicately on my shoulder. I swear, if we weren't in water right now, I'd have dropped him. Am I the only one who's noticed people are way lighter in water?

"Can I call this victory?" He whispers, and I smirk.

"Call it whatever you want… just kiss me first."

I feel his lips twist into a smile. "Whatever you say, Sonshine."

He jumps off of my back and picks me up bridal style, cuddling his arms around me, his lips inches from mine. We kiss softly, then getting perfectly passionate, before pulling away to notice Abby and Tawni staring our way. Abby looks confused, but Tawni is just smiling smugly, like she knows something we don't.

"You guys back in the real world now?" She asks.

"Huh?" I about all I can muster, since the kiss has left me speechless yet again.

"You've been in ChannyLand for, like, 5 minutes." She smirks, "You're lucky this isn't a public beach."

I feel my cheeks turn an embarrassing shade of crimson, and Chad's mouth drops open, before he smiles sheepishly at me.

"Was that enough for you, m'lady?" He asks, winking.

"Just about." I laugh. He kisses me once more on the cheek, before dropping me into the water, running to the shore. Ugh, he is such a moment-killer…

"Come back here, you!" I yell, running out of the water and chasing him around. I'm so busy chasing him, I almost don't hear Tawni snort, before saying;

"Disgustingly cute."

Chad smirks on hearing this, and stops running, wrapping his arms around me and turning to face Tawni. With a wink, he says, "Actually, Tawni, it's _adorably _cute." **(AN: Sarah :P)**

Tawni just glares at him, an annoyed glare, and I decide to move on from this before Chad and Tawni begin a heated debate on our relationship.

"Speaking of _adorably cute_…" I say, turning to Abby, picking her up and grinning. "Want your presents now, beautiful?"

Abby's eyes light up and she nods excitedly, and so Chad heads back up to the car where the presents are still in the back of it.

About five minutes later, Chad arrives with the presents in two bags, one with Lovey Horse in it, the other with the guitar. Abby disintegrates the wrapping paper, falling in love with each of the presents straight away. She tests out Lovey Horse's 'play' button, which, when pressed, sings an adorable (and annoyingly-catchy) song. I see a devilish smile on Chad's face when he sees that, and realise he's plotting to annoy Josh. Ha, my boyfriend and his crazy little brother… something tells me Lovey Horse is gonna cause some mischief…

Then Chad teaches Abby her first chord, an A, with my help. She perfects it within a few minutes, and Chad grins at me.

"Told ya," He says, "She'll be a superstar some day, I can guarantee."

I take his word for it, considering she is a Cooper – the family who can accomplish _anything_.

* * *

So, at the end of the day, we walk back to the car, Chad carrying the presents (apart from Tawni's necklace, which is sitting delicately around Abby's neck).

"Believe me, sweetie," Tawni whispers to Abby, "Next year's present will be even more spectacular… I can guarantee it."

Even I get excited at that. When Tawni says 'spectacular', it means 'absolutely, fantastically amazing'. I honestly can't wait to see what she has in mind.

So, we arrive back home, where Josh and Zora are already there. We ask Zora to stay for a while, and she agrees, considering she thinks Abby is awesome too. So, we all stay to watch her open more presents from more family members and from Zora (who gets her a mini So Random sarcophagus), and for the cake. Her cake is awesome – straight from the Condor Studios' cafeteria – a half So Random, half Mackenzie Falls cake… and it looks delicious.

Abby sure agrees, guzzling the whole thing in one go, just about. Chad smirks.

"Am I that delicious?" He asks, and I laugh, swatting him with my arm jokingly.

"You are to me." I say, which makes him almost blush.

A few hours later, we all leave. Tawni offers to take me and Zora home, so Chad doesn't need to, which is a disappointment to him, I can tell. I think he just wants us to have a little… alone time. Oh well, that means more for tomorrow!

"Thanks for coming today, guys." Chad says to us all at the door, Abby stood next to him. "What do you say to the girls, Abby?" He asks her, and a smile creeps onto her face.

"Thank you." She grins, which makes us all swoon.

"No, problem, beautiful." I say, "We had a lot of fun! Glad you like the presents too."

"See you guys tomorrow then?" Chad asks, and we all nod, more me than anyone else.

We all exchange 'goodbye's', before getting in Tawni's car and driving down the road into the darkness, talking about the fun we had that day.

* * *

**Well, there we have it. The little cutie's birthday ;) Hope you guys like it. Please review! :D**


	42. Zosh, The Mischief Couple

**Hey-hey! I'm back! :D**

**Yeah, I know, I haven't updated in, meh, a while, but I'm here now, so don't y'all worry :) The reason for my overdue update is all mrpuppy's fault. Haha, joking. But she asked me to make a Zosh chapter. I had planned out what would happen after Abby's birthday (I even mentally wrote it), but I thought it would be best if the Zosh chapter came now before we get into the Channy parts that we'll all ADORE! **

**So, this chapter is dedicated to mrpuppy, because it is written especially for her, and all those Zosh fans. I am one myself, but I found them hard to write, or not as easy as Channy, so apologies for the length of this chapter. Trust me - the next few chapters will hopefully be a good length, and an awesome plot line! (hate to toot my own horn, but...) And mrpuppy? I shall get Lovey Horse sent to annoy those math teachers asap ;)**

**Here's the disclaimer... I don't own pie.**

**Channy: Ek-hem?**

**Me: *sigh* Or SWAC.**

* * *

**Chapter 42 - Zosh, The Mischief Couple**

Josh's POV

I wake up on the morning of Abby's birthday, happy at the memories of yesterday. Zora and I were hanging out at her house, pranking her brothers. It was so much fun, especially when I found the Wii in her room and we played Sports (mainly Boxing… which she was, like, a pro at!). I then asked her what she's doing today, and she said just hanging at the studio, since she's got nothing better to do with her day off. So, I'm hoping Chad will let me spend the day with her. As much as I love my little sister (sue me) and wanna spend the day with my family (ditto), I also wanna spend time with Zora (who _isn't _my girlfriend, before you go crazy. Me, having a girlfriend? Gross).

So, I go downstairs, and hear Chad and Abby already up, in the kitchen, having breakfast. I go into there, sitting in a free chair, and Chad notices me straight away, looking up from his phone where he's just been texting (probably to Sonny…).

"Hey, sport." He says, putting the phone in his pocket and smiling at me.

"Hey." I say, before randomly asking out of the blue, "How's life?"

Chad tilts his head at me quizzically (I know how he feels… I have no idea where that came from either), before saying, "Uh… great. You?"

"Awesome." I say. I then feel Abby touch my arm from her seat and turn to see her grinning, caked in syrup. Hmm, Chad gave her a shortstack again, I guess.

"Happy birthday, Abby." I say to her, which makes her smile, before giggling happily.

Chad looks at me, confused, blinking a couple of times. "Who the heck _are _you?" He asks jokingly, and I roll my eyes.

"Very funny." I say, before deciding to ask the question… "Can I spend the day with Zora today?"

Chad frowns a little, before he grins, realisation striking his face, and he smirks. "Sure." He then adds, "You spend time with the love of your life."

I roll my eyes again at my brother's sarcastic tone, hitting him with a dishcloth I find on the breakfast table. He smirks, passing me the leftover pancakes.

After we're all ready, Chad picks up Sonny before dropping me off at Condor Studios. Before we get there, we have a weird interrogation session on my 'relationship' so far with Zora. It finishes with Sonny warning me that soon enough, Zora and I may get really close, like she is with Chad.

"Disgusting." I say, rolling my eyes, and Sonny and Chad smirk.

"Well, you may be this disgusting someday," Chad says in a lovey-dovey voice, before turning to Sonny, "Am I right, beautiful?"

"Indeed you are, handsome." She replies in the same tone, before they kiss lightly. I roll my eyes again and pretend to throw up.

"Not likely." I whisper to myself. There's no way I'd be that crazy and weird. No way.

* * *

We arrive at the studio, and I get out of the car and head to the Prop House, since that's where Zora probably would be. I collect a visitor's pass and walk past Stage 2, where the large poster of my brother is up on the wall. I smirk at it, before walking over to Stage 3, aka So Random.

I arrive in the Prop House to see it empty, and so decide to just sit and play video games until Zora arrives. My guess – she's in the vents.

So, I'm waiting for ages, and when she finally arrives, it's through the vents. Ha, I know her so well…

She falls through the vents, landing next to me with a thud.

"Hey there…" I say, smirking a little, "How are you, Little Miss Tumble?"

"Ugh… in pain." She groans, "I need to give up that whole obsession with the vents, or it'll be the death of me."

I laugh, "We can't have that now, can we?"

"No, we can't…" She grins, "Hi, by the way."

"Hi." I say.

"So…" She says, "Whatcha wanna do?"

I shrug, "Don't mind."

"Video games?" She suggests.

"Na, I can't be asked." I say. Yes, that's right. For the first time in history, Joshua (Ugh… Joshua) Aaron Cooper doesn't feel like playing video games. Zora's just as surprised as I am.

"What have you done with Josh?" She asks, and I glare at her.

"Very funny." He says.

At that moment, we hear a thunder-ish sound, and turn to the door to see the two guy Randoms (why am I calling them Randoms? Chad's infectious… ugh!) run in, barricading the doors. Zora sneers when she sees them.

"Who've you annoyed this time?" She asks, and the boys wince.

"Big, scary guy…" Nico says.

"Flirting with his girlfriend…" Grady continues.

"It wasn't pretty…" Nico adds.

"All his fault." Grady says, pointing to Nico, who scowls at him. "It was!" Grady protests, "You were the one who called her a hottie."

Nico rolls his eyes, "Whatever." He then turns his attention to us, "But, just so you know, if you see a very tall, very wide, angry man looking for us… we're not here. And we were _never _here."

"So…" Grady says, changing the subject, "What's going on here?" He looks to me, smiling slightly, "Who's that?"

"Josh," Zora introduces me, "Chad's brother."

"Oh…" Nico smirks, before winking at Zora, "The guy you're dating…"

"Not _dating, _technically…" Zora says, and I nod.

"Yep, just hanging out." I add.

The boys look to each other like they know something we don't, before turning to us, grinning, and chanting, "Zora'a got a boyfriend! Zora's got a boyfriend! Zora's got a boyfriend…"

Zora glares at them, and I do the same, getting them to shut up. You'd think they'd stop after that, but they don't.

"Who would've thought we'd see the day?" Grady asks, as Nico hands me a remote control.

"You might need this, buddy." He says.

"What does it do?" I ask, and he presses the button, which dims the lights and puts on romantic music. I groan as Nico grins at me.

"It helps me _a lot_." He says.

"Well, the girls who come running and screaming out of the Prop House day in and day out would beg to differ." Zora points out, which makes me laugh. I high-five her, and the boys leave, whispering about us and laughing.

Zora looks at me deviously. "Josh… I know what we're gonna do today."

I smirk, "Been watching Phineas and Ferb again?"

She nods, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Revenge?" I ask, and she grins.

"You know me too well."

So, we plot our revenge. Okay, so it's not an extremely elaborate plan. Just one teeny-tiny prank. I know I should try to stop pranking people, but it's just natural instinct. Plus, it's fun, especially with Zora (Don't "aw").

Zora sets out a plate of meatball sandwiches, sneering. I tie string to the plate, setting the trap.

"You sure this is gonna work?" I ask, tying the other end of the string to the sarcophagus as she puts down a piece of paper next to the sandwiches.

Zora laughs, "If I know Nico and Grady right, which I do, they love meatballs more than their mommies. And for those two, that's saying a lot."

I laugh.

"Plus, have I ever been wrong before on a prank?"

I think it about it. "No." I say, "You haven't."

After all the setting up, we hide behind the photo booth, watching the sandwiches on the table, bored.

"Remind me how long this is gonna take." I moan, and Zora glares at me.

"It will take how long it needs to take," She whispers, "Besides, they're not even here yet! So shut your trap!"

"Ouch." I smirk. "Meanie."

"Yeah," She snickers, "And I can be meanie-er, so watch it."

Right then, we hear a door open, and turn to see Nico and Grady walking in. We duck behind the photo booth, watching, waiting. The two are talking about random stuff, but sooner or later, they notice our little trap.

"Check it, G!" Nico grins, "Meatball sandwiches!"

"It's not even Meatball Monday!" Grady beams, before pausing and turning to Nico, "Is it?"

"To be honest, I don't care." Nico shrugs, running to the sandwiches, Grady following. At this point, I nod to Zora, which gives her the signal to pull at the string attached to the plate. This pulls the plate along the table, leaving the boys stood there, looking at it in confusion.

"Weird…" Nico says, "Maybe someone's pranking us…"

I look at Zora in horror. Crap! They're onto us!

"Yeah…" Grady says, "But I'm too hungry to care."

Nico nods in agreement, following the sandwiches across the table as Zora and I try hard not to laugh. The sandwiches then land on the spot that we set the trap up on. The boys reach for the sandwich, but Nico's hands hit the button. There's a crash, a bash, and suddenly, a large net lands on their heads. Zora and I grin at each other, high-fiving each other, before coming out from our hiding spot, laughing.

"Okay…" Zora says, in between laughs, "That's what you get for messing with us…"

"Enjoy the sandwiches…" I say, before deciding to use my brother's signature "Peace out suckahs!" to get out of there, Zora following close behind, giggling.

"The look on their faces…" She smirks, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye, "Priceless…"

"Yup." I say, giving her one last high-five.

"You know who else I wanna prank?" She asks.

"No, who?"

"The Falls cast. Chad may have the day off for Abby's birthday, but I think the others are still working."

I grin. The Falls cast… those guys are so annoying – I've met them before. They're a bunch of bigheads. Sure, Chad was like that before, but he's mellowed since Sonny and him started dating. The same can't be said for his cast mates though. This should be fun…

Zora directs me to where she keeps all her pranking props. Whoa… she's, like, the keeper of the prank props! She picks up two paintball guns, she passes one to me and holds the other, loading it with little paint balls.

"Don't these hurt a little?" I ask her, loading my gun warily, and she smirks.

"Well, Josh…" She says, "Have you gone soft?"

I sneer, "Zora? Are you questioning that I, Josh Aaron Cooper, have gone soft?"

"Yep." She winks, which prompts me to laugh. She has a point – a few years ago, I would've jumped at the chance to shoot my brother's annoying cast mates with paint balls. Ugh… what have Chad and Sonny done to me?

I finish loading my gun with a grin and wink at Zora. "Let's do this." I say.

* * *

An hour or so later, Zora and I are in Marshall Pike's car, listening to him explain how silly we were to do attack the Falls with paintball guns and makes us promise not to do it again. After mine and Zora's little surprise attack earlier, the place looked like it had been the scene for a major battle. The backdrops for the sets were covered in different colored paint splotches, and some of them are ripped, considering those ones were made of some kind of sheet material. Yeah… oops.

None of the cast members were still hanging around when we left though. They were probably all either home or in their dressing room, washing up.

The scene was quite comical though. People were running around, trying to fix things like it was the end of the world. Seriously, dudes, it's a TV show! Honestly…

But, because of our "awful behaviour", Zora and I had been scolded for the last hour by the producer of Chad's show and Marshall Pike, So Random's producer. They were pretty peed off… but it was worth it to see the looks on those drama snob's faces.

We arrive back home, and a few minutes later, Chad, Sonny, Abby and Tawni arrive, asking Zora to stay for a little while, and she agrees, to my pleasure. Hmm… but one thing's for sure – I'll tell Chad about the whole paintball thing tomorrow. I know he'd have a fit and that would ruin Abby's birthday (though it would probably be funny).

A few hours go on, and it's time for the Random girls to leave (sounding more like Chad… ugh…). Zora pulls me to the side, smiling.

"I had fun today." She says.

"Me too," I reply, "It was so worth everything."

"Yeah…" She says, her eyes going kinda googly, before going back to normal. Huh… weird. "Well, I guess I'll see you around?"

"Sure."

She smiles, before pulling me into a quick hug and leaving in a hurry, leaving me feeling slightly weaker than before.

Whoa… I finally get Chad and Sonny.

Zora's POV

Whoa… I finally get Sonny and Chad.

Just before I left Josh's house, I hugged him… and it felt good. Not friendship good, but… different good.

"Someone seems dazed." Sonny laughs to me, when we're driving home in Tawni's car.

"Ooh, I know why…" Tawni smirks, before putting on a lovey-dovey face a voice and saying, "She's in love with Josh!"

The two squeal, and I roll my eyes. "I'm _not_." I say.

"Uh-huh…" Sonny says, "Don't deny it, Zora… you've finally met your match! It's so _cute_!"

"_Don't_." I groan, "Just _don't_."

Luckily, we get to my house at that point. I get out of the car and run straight to my house before they can interrogate me anymore. And I hate myself for admitting that… they might be right.

* * *

**Heehee, well, there you go. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Especially you, mrpuppy! :D**

**You know what you should do next? ...REVIEW! :D That would be lovely ;)**


	43. There's Just So Much Drama!

**Hey guys! It's another update! I know, super-quick. It's coz I was enjoying writing it :)**

**Ha, didn't I say this would be an awesome Channy chapter? Well... it's kinda right. There are Channy moments, but this is the first day Sonny guest stars on Mackenzie Falls, so they'll also be Mackenzie/Sonny's character moments too. **

**I must say though, I enjoyed writing this chapter. So I really hope you guys like reading it :)**

**And to stop any confusion - the italic parts are Mackenzie Falls scenes. The quotes and stuff will be sometimes written as the actor/actress saying them, sometimes as the character saying them. Basically, Sonny/Kaitlyn, Sara/Daphne, Chad/Mackenzie, Ferguson/Trevor, Portlyn/...Portlyn (awkward) and etc... you get the idea. Hope this hasn't confused you more! **

**I don't own SWAC! :P I did in my dream last night though. I met Demi! Ha :D**

**And... onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 43-There's Just So Much Drama!**

Sonny's POV

I wake up the day after Abby's birthday with a grin a mile wide. Yesterday was so much fun! And, to me, it felt like we were a family. We were so close and had a blast… and it made me even more excited for the day when Chad and I have kids of our own.

The rest of the weekend goes by, and Monday comes faster than expected. And that makes me nervous, because this is the week that I have to guest star on Mackenzie Falls to pay back for mine and Chad's bet. **(You remember the bet? The one where they drew? Yup. Carry on)**

I got the script on Sunday – Chad brought it to me. But he couldn't stay long – he was going to visit his Dad and Melanie with Josh and Abby, so I spent the day horse-riding, reading through the script and hanging out with Tawni when she called me and asked if I wanted to hang out. So she came to my house and we messed about. She even had a ride on Sonshine, me supervising on Capriccio. Why was I on Chad's horse rather than my own? Well, Chad's probably trained Capriccio to buck like crazy whenever Tawni is near, so I thought she'd be safer on Sonshine. Hey, I said _probably – _don't believe that I'm right. Then again, just in case…

* * *

I walk into the Mackenzie Falls set on the Monday, wearing the uniform Chad dropped off on Sunday with the script. I remember admiring myself in the mirror earlier – I thought I looked pretty good. I especially loved the little red rose that my character would wear in her hair. It really topped off the outfit, and would be the structure of an adorable scene with my character, Kaitlyn, and Mackenzie at the end of the show.

The moment I enter, I notice Chad stood in the middle of the academy's courtyard set, flicking through his script, and I feel my heart flutter when I see him in his Mackenzie outfit. He always looks so cute in his Mackenzie outfit.

He looks up from his script and sees me, before running my way with a smile spreading across his face.

"Hey…" He says, grinning, "You look… incredible."

I feel a blush creep up on my cheeks, and hide behind a curtain of hair.

"Thanks." Is all I can say. It's funny that, even though we've been together all these years, I fall in love with him again every time I see him.

"Let's get started!" He grins, taking my hand and leading me to the set. I approach the cast and say hi, before noticing the small gang of producers, stood by the side, watching my every move. It's kinda scary.

Why are they watching me so closely? Well, the actress who plays Mackenzie's love interest, Chastity Ann DeWitt, aka Chloe, had to go to London for a movie, so the character Chloe has been removed from the show, for now at least. Which means that the producers of Mackenzie Falls are watching carefully. They're going to be bringing in a whole load of guest stars in, and then see which is more popular with the viewers and the cast and crew. Whichever seems more appealing to everyone will be offered the chance to become a regular on the show, and Mackenzie's new love interest. And I'm one of the girls in the running.

To be honest, as much fun as this would be to be my own boyfriend's love interest in his TV show, I really don't mind which way this goes. Sure, it would be awesome to be a regular on Chad's show, and to be his love interest (it means we can be gushy on camera!), and our casts get along better now, so it won't be as awkward for any of us. But then, it may be hard to work two shows, and just because our casts are getting along now doesn't mean we're all the best of friends. So I'll just go along with it and see where the wind blows.

"Okay everyone, let's get started!" The director, who's name is Rhonda, says as Chad and I find one familiar red-head in the mix of actors and actresses. Sara. Yep, it's her first episode too, and she's one of the possible contenders for Mackenzie's love interest. I don't think she wants it though – it'll be a little awkward for both her and Chad to do love scenes, considering they're cousins.

I give Chad one last hug, grinning. "Good luck." I whisper.

"Ditto." He replies, pulling away from the hug and winking, before stepping off the stage along with everyone else who's not on this scene straight away, and only Chad is left on his own, sat on a bench.

"And…" Rhonda says with a smile, "Action!"

Chad's POV

"And… action!"

_I'm sat on the bench in the middle of the Mackenzie Falls' academy ground, head in hands, sighing, because, according to the script, the love of my life has left me. Why? I don't know yet. Maybe she was lost in a hot air ballooning accident? __**(Hannah… ;)) **__All I know is, she'd gone. And she's probably not coming back._

"_Yo, Mack Attack!"_

_I look up, looking around, before seeing my best friend, Trevor (aka Ferguson) heading my way, looking concerned. _

"_What's up?" He asks, sitting next to me with a frown. I don't look at him though. I take the advice from the many times my heart has been broken and decide not to make eye contact with him because it may set me off crying. Hey, Mackenzie can learn a lot from Chad. I've been through more than him, which is weird considering that drama in his life._

"_It's Chloe…" I say, making my voice crack a little, "…She's gone."_

"_Gone?" Trevor repeats dramatically, and Mackenzie has to stop Chad from rolling both of their eyes at the dramatic nature of the show. That wouldn't look good on camera… _

"_Yep…" I say, "She called me last night, and said she had to go… she's left me, Trevor. I guess I just…" I add in a sarcastic chuckle, "…miss her. A lot."_

"_Man… that's tough." Trevor sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, "Sorry to hear about that, Mack. I know how much she meant to you."_

_I nod sadly, remembering the days when Sonny and I were apart and how upset I was then. I thank my lucky stars that now my sadness just acting for Mackenzie, rather than real life for Chad._

_I then feel a tap on my shoulder, and jump up to see Portlyn (aka… Portlyn) behind me, smiling sadly. _

"_Hey, Mack…" She says softly, "Sorry to hear about your little girlfriend leaving. I think we're all gonna miss Christie…"_

"_Her name was Chloe." I correct her, rolling my eyes. Hmm… Portlyn, the crazy obsessive girl who won't get a hint that the guy doesn't love her. I don't think Chad has had to deal with one of those in his life, and I'm lucky for that. Oh, except for Marta, the girl who played the previous obsessed girl, Penelope. She tried to kill me and Sonny. That was scary… _

"_Aw, yeah." Portlyn says, "It's a shame. Oh well…" She sighs melodramatically, "I guess that means you're free to date! So, if you pick me up at…"_

_I groan, getting up and walking away, ending the scene._

Sonny grins at me, hugging me the minute I step off the stage.

"You were awesome!" She says during the embrace, and I laugh.

"Thanks, sweetie." I say, "Now it's your turn."

At that moment, Sonny tenses up a little. I try not to smirk. Nerves.

"Try not to be nervous." I comfort her, "It's easy when you're doing it."

"I'm not nervous!" She laughs, but I look down to her shaking knees and know she's lying. I look back at her with a smirk and she sighs, her cool-girl cover blown. "Yeah, maybe I'm a little nervous…"

"Don't worry about it." I say, grabbing her hands and smiling, "If you get stage-fright, just look at me. I'll help you through it."

"Thanks." She smiles, loosening, before hugging me and heading over to Sara on the stage, who she rehearses a few lines with. I sit and watch her from the side, waiting for my turn to join their first scene. I try hard to contain my excitement for my little Sonshine, watching her practice with Sara before the real thing comes along. She looks over to me, looking scared, and so I give her thumbs up. To which, she smiles, nods, and mouths, "I love you."

"I love you too." I mouth back.

"And… action!"

"_So, this is the academy…" Sonny's character, Kaitlyn, breathes, looking around with a grin on her face while carrying a stack of books. "…It's huge! How are we not gonna get lost, Daph?" _

"_Believe me, Kait," Sara's character, Daphne, replies with a sigh and a smile, "We won't get lost."_

"_But it's just… so… big!" Kaitlyn sighs dramatically, and I have to stop myself from laughing at how awesome Sonny is at the dramatic sigh. I was holding in my laughs so much, I almost forgot my cue. And I would've, had Ferguson not tapped me on the back and motioned to the stage. Wow… that was a close one. I get up, putting on Mackenzie's sad pout and coming in view of one of the cameras._

"_Hey, check it out!" Daphne says, her voice dropping a little, "Cute guys!" I try to hold a smirk. Awkward… nope, I'm gonna be professional about this. Which means Chad stays in the back and doesn't complain about the family thing, and Mackenzie stays out in the front, sad-eyed and moping about the love of his life. _

"_Let's talk to them…" Daphne continues, reminding me that we are rolling, and I should be acting right now._

"_No! We can't talk to them!" Kaitlyn says, dragging her friend back a little. Not that I can see though, because I have my back facing them. I just know that because of Sonny and Sara's practicing earlier._

"_Why not?" Daphne asks._

"_Do you not know who that is?" Kaitlyn asks, cueing her to point at me – not that I can see, once again. Knowing Sonny though, I'm sure she's nailed it. She always does. "That's Mackenzie – the owner of the Mackenzie Falls! The richest guy in this whole place! We can't talk to him!"_

_This was even harder not to smirk at. Yes, Mackenzie had become quite a celebrity in the academy and the town around it that, of what I know, is nameless. Gosh… seven years of this show and the town doesn't have a name? Weird… in fact, I don't even know Mackenzie's last name! Huh, this show is so badly structured, now that I think about it…_

"_I am _not _talking to him, you talk to him!" I hear Sonny say, waking me from my daydream, and remember that I'm still acting. And then I remember this is my cue to back up a little. And a little more… little more… and then…_

_WHAM!_

_Right into Sonny, which hints her to drop the books and stuff she's carrying. And that reminds me that this is the point I have to turn around and help her up. We haven't rehearsed this part of the scene – since Sonny and I have so much 'chemistry' already, they thought that our parts together would come naturally, so there was no point wasting time. _

_So, both of us are on our knees, gathering a load of books, apologising, and I suddenly remember this from one of Mackenzie and Chloe's first scenes together. Well, duh. That's the point. Surprisingly, that type of meeting has already been used twice on the show – when Mackenzie met Chloe, and now. You'd think it would've been used more, considering how clichéd and repetitive Mackenzie Falls is. _

"_I'm so sorry…" Kaitlyn says, "I'm such a klutz…"_

"_No, it's fine," I say, "I wasn't looking."_

"_Neither was I…" Kaitlyn laughs, shrugging, but then she looks up, and that tells me to do so too. I then see Sonny, my beautiful girl, looking perfect in that uniform, and I'm speechless. Which is good, because Mackenzie is supposed to be speechless at this moment. _

"_Hi…" Kaitlyn says, a hint of a smile creeping onto her lips._

"_Hey…" I reply, finally waking from my Sonny-trance. _

"…_Hi…" Kaitlyn repeats, this time laughing a little, and my stomach churns. She's using the Sonny-laugh… which makes it hard for me to be the one who isn't enjoying this moment. I get up, clearing my throat a little, before handing the books to Sonny and smiling meekly at her. _

"_Sorry again…" I say, "Um…?"_

"_Oh, Kaitlyn." She says, smiling. The Sonny-smile… damn, she's not making this easy for me to pretend to not want to like her. Right now, I like her as much as normal, maybe more. Wait… make that _love_. Love her even more than normal._

"_Mackenzie." I say, shaking her hand, and she grins. I then clear my throat again, letting go of her hand, which falters her smile a little. That annoys me though. I miss the Sonny smile…_

"_So, are you new?" I ask her, and she nods._

"_Well, kinda," She explains, "My Dad is thinking of moving to the town here, so I'm here for a few days to check out the school." What did I tell you? No town name. I sure hope Kaitlyn doesn't ask Mackenzie about his last name. Imagine – "What's your last name, Mackenzie?" "I… don't have one!" Cue dramatic stare into the distance. __**(A/N: This bit was courtesy of nangelgirl923. Ha, check that out, Hannah! More credit! ;))**_

"_Cool…" I say, before finally pretending to notice Sara. "And… who's your friend?" I ask._

"_Oh, I'm Daphne." She says, giving me a small wave, "I'm moving here too. Well, I've already moved here."_

"_Cool." I repeat, before clearing my throat again in a shy tone, like I don't want to talk. "Well, I've gotta go. See ya." And with that, I walk off the stage, and let the others finish their scene._

* * *

After the scene is finished, and re-shot over and over again, the morning is over, and lunch is called. Which is a relief for me, because even though having Sonny working with me made the work more fun, it was still a long morning. Unfortunately though, So Random still has about 20 minutes rehearsal, so Sonny has to go to do that. Which means I'm gonna be sat having lunch with my cast mates for 20 minutes. _Joy. _Not that I hate them, but I'd much rather hang out with Sonny. And, because I seem to go into stand-by mode when I'm not around Sonny, my cast notice my slight gloomy mood.

"Wassup, dude?" Skyler asks me as I pick at my lobster glumly. "You were on a high earlier."

"I know what's wrong…" One of the newer girls, Alice, says, before putting on a lovey-dovey face and sighing, "He misses his _Sonshine_."

"So what if I do?" I snap, "I have you guys for company. What joy."

"Hey! Easy on the sarcasm, bro!" Ferguson chuckles, "We know you miss her, but no need to put a downer on us! She'll be here in, like, 15 minutes."

"16, actually." I correct. Alice snorts.

"Whoa, dude, you're obsessed."

"He has been for years." Skyler informs her, "You'll get used to it."

"Thought of proposing yet?" Alice continues.

"Well…" I sigh. I have thought about it, duh, but I have to remember – I'm not even nineteen yet. Neither is Sonny. We're both eighteen – we don't want to be throwing away our lives so quickly. Even if we do love each other so much… plus, I don't think either of our families would be happy to hear about it anyway! Na, we're fine the way we are, for now.

"We just don't think it's right getting married so early in our lives."

Alice shrugs, "Well, that doesn't matter. You can still propose, and then wait a little while before you get married. You don't have to get married straight away… but if you love each other that much, it's worth a shot."

Huh. I never thought of that.

"And it's not like you guys are gonna break up or anything," Skyler adds, "I mean, you guys are, like, inseparable!"

"Well, I would…" I say, trying to find my way out of this, "But… I don't know how I'd do it."

"You'd think of something," Ferguson says, "Somehow you always manage to charm that girl, so it's not like now would be any different."

"Guys, I don't know…"

"Wait…" Portlyn says, finally getting involved in the conversation. "Does this mean… you don't like Sonny anymore?"

I growl. Of course. Portlyn had to open that can of worms, didn't she? Just because I don't want to propose to Sonny suddenly means that I've fallen out of love with her, apparently. Great. Just _great_.

"No!" Alice groans, "You guys are so good together! Please don't say that's true!"

"Something tells me it is." Skyler says suspiciously, "Normally he'd jump at the chance to do anything for Sonny."

"Have you found someone new?" Portlyn asks, "Coz I really didn't expect this, even from you…"

"Guys. Just shut up, okay? Shut up!"

Yup. That's it. I've blown. Fed up of all the questions, I tell my cast to shut up. But until the words get out, I don't notice how loud and angry they sound. When I look around afterwards, I notice every pair of eyes in the cafeteria is on me. I shrug at them all, in an attitude that faintly resembles the long-gone CDC persona, before turning back to my cast, glowering at each of them, before taking the dumb decision to open my mouth again.

"Let me get one thing straight –" I say, lowering my voice a little, "I've not – and never will – fall out with Sonny. Don't you _dare _to even _think _that. I love her more than my own _freakin'_ life, and after everything that's happened between us I would _never _want to lose her again. I just don't want to propose to her yet, get it? So just shut up, leave it alone, and stay out of my love life."

And with that, being the drama actor I am, I storm out of the cafeteria, leaving a half-eaten lobster and a bunch of confused people behind me.

Well… that didn't go too well.

* * *

So now, I'm in Sonny's dressing room, sat on the couch, head in hands. Don't ask me why, but it helps me to think when I'm in here. And right now, I need a lot of _thinking_ time.

My cast's words ring through my head. Especially Alice's – "You can still propose, and then wait a little while before you get married. You don't have to get married straight away… but if you love each other that much, it's worth a shot." I honestly didn't think of that. It's a possibility, sure, but it still doesn't help me make a decision. I mean, what will my family say about it? What would _Sonny's _family say about it?

Sure, they know we love each other, but I don't think they'd be happy about us settling down so quickly. But then… does it matter? I mean, it's only me and Sonny who matter here… right? Plus, the idea of getting engaged is to promise that you will be with this person for the rest of your life, and then marry them. Huh… but then, I've already done that with the promise ring. Oh crap… does that mean we're already engaged?

"Agh!"

I jump at the sound of a girl's scream, and turn to the door to see Sonny stood there, hands over her mouth in shock.

"Chad?" She asks after a few seconds of us just staring at each other. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the cafeteria."

"I _was._" I say, before realising how suspicious that sounded. Well done, Chad. You've managed to scare the girl you're trying to protect here, and then worry her.

"So, why aren't ya there now?" She asks, blinking in confusion.

I would tell her, but I kinda can't, considering it involves her. What am I supposed to say? _"Because I had a fight with the Falls kids about how I don't want to propose to you yet and they thought that I didn't love you anymore"_? Yeah, that would be smart.

"Just coz." I say, and I hear her chuckle a little as she sits down next to me.

"Coz why?" She asks after a pause, "Gosh, you're not making this easy for me, sweetie."

_That's my goal. _"Well… just a disagreement with the Falls kids." I say. That's all she needs to know.

"Oh… what about?"

I groan. She's making this hard for me to keep a secret that is best kept, well, secret.

"Uh…" I say, trying to come up with some sort of alibi. I mean, I could tell her the story, it just doesn't have to be about us, right?

I come up short. "It's not important."

"Oh," Sonny frowns, before adding, "Well, I understand if you don't want to tell me… but maybe I could help if you did."

I notice the pout on her face, and feel bad. I don't like keeping secrets from her, it makes her sad. C'mon, Chad, think… think…

Sonny gets up, walking to her vanity, and it's that moment that I notice a picture of her, me, Josh and Abby. Abby! The alibi could be about Abby! After all, I care about her more than almost every girl in the world, and it's obvious I would have a fall-out with someone if they disagreed with me on something to do with her. Plus, maybe I could advice from Sonny this way on what I should do, without actually asking her about the proposing thing!

"Um, it's about Abby." I say, and Sonny turns to face me. Okay, this is it. No backing out. C'mon, Cooper, what next? "And the pre-school thing."

"Oh…" Sonny says, "What about it?"

"Well… my cast mates were saying how they think I should get her into a pre-school, but I don't know if it's too early. Sure, she's a great little girl and she'd cope, but I don't know… what if she didn't?" _Translation – my cast mates were saying how they think I should propose to you, but I don't know if we're too young or not. Sure, we're in love and it's not like we'd be making the wrong decision, but I don't know… what if it really was the wrong decision?_

"Well, do you think she'd be alright with it? Do you think she'd be able to handle it?" Sonny asks. _Translation – do you think I'd be okay with you proposing? Do you think I'd be able to handle it?_

"Yeah…" I reply. "At least, I hope so."

"Well then, maybe they're right. I suppose it's just up to you, Chad. You're her carer – it's all up to you." _Translation – It's up to you. _Wait… that doesn't help at all! "Was that any help?" Sonny asks with a smile.

"Yeah…" I say, putting on a fake smile, "Great advice, Sonny, thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiles, before getting up. "I'm gonna go back to the cafeteria, you coming?

"Uh, sure." I say, getting up, "It'll give me a chance to apologise to the others for overreacting."

"Okay," She says, linking her arm into mine, and I smile at her, before we walk out of the dressing room and to the cafeteria.

I'm still really confused though. My whole alibi thing just made it worse. Now Sonny's pretty much told me to make my own decision… how am I meant to do that when I was stuck on this decision in the first place?

Oh boy…

* * *

**So... was that Channy enough for you? It sure beats writing Quite The Opposite right now, which seems to have a certain Sonny/Chad/Tawni love triangle aspect to it. Yuck. **

**Anyways... review? That would be lovely of you, dears. And, because of how thankful I am of you guys, I shall sign off with my name...**

**~Amy x**


	44. Confusion At The Falls

**Hey, y'all! It's here! Another chapter of LWMS which is full of random wafffle. **

**I'm glad you guys who did review last time liked the chapter... there weren't many reviews :( But hey, that didn't stop me from writing! :D**

**I don't much like this chapter, but I wanted to update something and LWMS was the first one I came to. I had an idea for it but I think it got lost somewhere along the way. It kinda starts off on Monday and ends up ending on Friday, missing out the days in between. I know. Big jump, but I couldn't think of anything to do in the middle and I didn't want to write the whole Mackenzie Falls episode or it would've got crazy. **

**There are more MF scenes, and they are, as before, in italics.**

**Oh well, hope you guys like it, as usual :)**

**DC: I don't own SWAC. Sigh...**

* * *

**Chapter 44 - Confusion At The Falls**

Sonny's POV

Wow. I'm _tired. _Like, so tired I could crawl into my bed and never wake up again so long as I live.

I woke up at seven o'clock this morning and arrived at Condor Studios at ten, to spend the rest of the morning rehearsing and recording scenes for Mackenzie Falls. Then, at about 12:40pm, Mackenzie Falls taping finished for lunch break. That didn't mean I had a break though – I had to go to So Random to help them with the last 20 minutes of rehearsal.

Now, at one in the afternoon, I'm so tired I feel like a flipping _zombie_ walking through these halls. I haven't eaten in 5 hours either, so I know I should really get to the cafeteria for something to eat. But, because of my current state, I can imagine myself falling asleep in my plate of ick. So, I instead buy a granola bar from one of the machines and head straight to my dressing room, hoping to get an hour or so of shut-eye before I'm due back on the set of Mackenzie Falls at two.

I open the door to my dressing room, confused when I see the light is already on. Huh, maybe Tawni forgot to turn it off when she left. I then notice a figure sat on the couch in the middle of the room, and I jump out of my skin. The figure gets up, alarmed, and at this point I notice that it's Chad, my lovely boyfriend. Only, he doesn't look too good.

Well, he looks healthy enough. It's not like he looks ill or anything. He just looks… upset. He also has that look on his face which tells me he's been thinking a lot. Oh no… he's been thinking a lot? Great. Something must be on his mind.

"Chad?" I ask, after a few seconds of both of us getting over our shock, "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the cafeteria."

"I _was._" He says glumly, and I realise that means he left because someone angered him. Yup. I can read my boyfriend like a flipping book. He's just that sweetly predictable.

"So, why aren't ya there now?" I ask.

"Just coz." He shrugs, and I snort. _Thanks for the help, honey._

"Coz why?" I ask, before adding with a laugh, "Gosh, you're not making this easy for me, sweetie."

"Well…" He sighs, "Just a disagreement with the Falls kids."

I frown. A disagreement? In Chad language, that means a fight. "Oh… what about?"

"Uh…" Chad stutters, like he's trying to come up with something to say. Then he sighs, "It's not important."

I tilt my head a little, pouting in confusion. It's not important? Everything to do with Chad is important to me, especially if he's upset. But, I respect his privacy. Maybe it's something I shouldn't know about.

"Oh, well, I understand if you don't want to tell me," I say, putting a hand on his lap, "but maybe I could help you if I did."

Chad looks up at me, looking puzzled, and I decide to leave him to think about it a little more. I get up off the couch, and head to my vanity, picking up the Mackenzie Falls script just to remind myself of my lines for the next few scenes.

"It's about Abby." Chad says after a few seconds of silence, and I put the script down so I can pay attention. If it's about Abby… well, I understand why Chad would be upset – he loves Abby like his own child.

"And the pre-school thing." He adds after a few more seconds, and I spin around on my spinning chair and look at him with an apologetic pout on my face. Poor Chad…

"What about it?" I ask.

"Well…" He begins, "My cast mates were saying how they think I should get her into a pre-school, but I don't know if it's too early. Sure, she's a great little girl and she'd cope, but I don't know… what if she didn't?" Aw… Chad would miss his little sister if she went to a school, I can tell from the look in his eye. But there's a hint of something else there, something a little more… hidden. I ignore it, and think about what I should tell him. I mean, surely he'd want advice right now, right?

"Well, do you think she'd be alright with it? Do you think she'd be able to handle it?" I ask him.

"Yeah…" He replies hesitantly, before adding, "At least, I hope so."

"Well then, maybe they're right." I say, "I suppose it's just up to you, Chad. You're her carer – it's all up to you. Was that any help?"

"Yeah…" He says, smiling meekly, "Great advice, Sonny, thanks."

"You're welcome." I say, smiling, before getting up and walking towards where he's sat before I hear my stomach rumble. I've decided I'm not so tired anymore, and instead just starving. I thought that granola bar would cure my hunger, but it just made it worse. "I'm gonna go back to the cafeteria, you coming?" I ask Chad.

"Uh, sure." He says, his smile growing a little, before he winces, "It'll give me a chance to apologise to the others for overreacting."

"Okay," I smile, before wrapping my arm around his and leading him to the cafeteria. I look up at him to see his face, considering he's a few inches taller than me, but I look into his eyes and see they're clouded. He's hiding something – something big, I can tell. But what? I've been in love with the guy long enough to know when something's wrong. And this is one of those times. I decide not to question it though – he's already so confused about this thing with Abby… maybe I just shouldn't say anything?

* * *

After lunch (which, by the way, Chad is still puzzling the whole time), we head back to the Mackenzie Falls set, where we have some more scenes to rehearse and film. Chad sure seems a little dazed, and even though he apologised to the other Falls kids for overreacting earlier, he's still a little cautious around them. But he's still the super actor he usually is, nailing his lines, knowing exactly what to do, when to do it. It's just when the cameras aren't rolling that he seems a little dazed. And that worries me, just a little.

But, I'm trying to stay professional, in character, and so on. And if Chad can do it, so can I. I so watch Chad from the side of the stage as he runs through a few of his lines and a make-up artist fusses with me, ready for a big Kaitlyn/Mackenzie scene. The director then instructs me to get into position and I do as asked, watching Chad take a seat in the middle of the courtyard set. He looks over to me and smiles, but I can still see the sadness in his eyes which makes me feel a little sick. I suck it up, smile back to him and giving him a thumbs up, before mouthing "I love you."

He doesn't reply.

"Okay, people, let's do this!" Rhonda grins, "Action!"

"_Mackenzie?" I ask, panic flooding my voice, and he looks up with that same upset look Chad had a few minutes ago. Well, whatever's bugging Chad, it must be getting to Mackenzie as well. _

"_Hi…" He sighs, moving over on the bench, so there's space for me to sit next to him. _

"_So…" I say, taking the seat and looking him in the eyes, which he disallows, looking in the opposite direction, "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"_

_He lets out a huge sigh, shaking his head slowly. "Nothing's wrong." He mumbles._

"_Really?" I ask, "Because I was just talking to your friend, Trevor… he said you were really upset about some girl."_

"_She wasn't just _some _girl," He says, "I loved her so much."_

_I frown, because Kaitlyn would be really annoyed at this. I mean, who wouldn't be mad if the cute guy they liked actually liked someone else? Or loved, in this case._

"_I'm sorry to hear about that," I say softly, "Do you wanna talk about it? Sometimes talking about this kind of thing helps."_

_Mackenzie smiles, a small smile, which grows a little when I put my hand on his lap, which I think is more Chad than Mackenzie. The smile then changes to a frown and he pushes my hand off of his lap, as scripted. _

"_No…" He says, "I can't do this…"_

"_Mackenzie?" I ask, panicking, refraining from calling him Chad, because I'm so used to seeing that sad look on my boyfriend. "Mackenzie, just talk to me. I want to know what's wrong. I want to help you."_

_I put my hand back on his lap, and he pushes it away again, before getting up and walking off, leaving me alone and with a confused look on my face. And that's when Rhonda calls cut._

I walk over to Chad, beaming, before hugging him tight.

"Great acting once again, sweetie." I say.

"You too…" He says, but he isn't looking at me. More into the distance. "Um, I'll talk to you later, okay babe? I need to go do something…"

"Oh, okay…" I say, watching him go, "But we're still busy taping!"

"I know," He shouts back, "I'll sort it out."

I then watch him walk over to Rhonda and Kate, the producer. He talks to them for a minute, before leaving the set. Rhonda then turns to Kate and talks to her a little, before shouting out to the rest of us that we get the afternoon off, so we can go home if we want. So I decide to go to see my friends in So Random. But, to be honest, all I can think of is Chad, and how bewildered he seemed earlier. Especially when he sends me a text when I'm walking down the So Random corridor, past my dressing room:

_Hey, darlin'! Sorry for the whole thing in MF, but I have to go meet with someone about something. I'll call you later, okay?_

Huh. Weird. Now you see why I'm so puzzled? My boyfriend's gone off to some secret meeting, without even telling me what it's about. _Wait, what if he cheating on me?_ I then slap myself for thinking that. _Don't be stupid, Sonny._

So, I arrive in So Random's Prop House to face immediate interrogation.

"How were the Falls kids to you so far?"

"We don't have to pull any pranks for revenge?"

"If we do, I know Josh would be happy to oblige…" (Yes, that one was Zora ;))

"Guys!" I laugh, "Everything's going fine. I'm actually having fun." I laugh at the horrified looks on my friend's faces, "And no, that does not mean I am moving from So Random to Mackenzie Falls. Even if I did join the Falls, nothing would tear me from my real Hollywood family."

That, of course, gets their approval. We all sit down, talking about random stuff, before someone (cough, Tawni, cough) dares to ask the question;

"So how's your boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend?" I say, "I really don't know. I think he's gone crazy."

"What do you mean?" Zora asks.

"He just seems really… confused." I say, "Like, _really _confused. I honestly don't know what's up with him. He told me it was something to do with Abby, but now I think it's maybe more than that. And then he had to leave for some kind of meeting, but he didn't tell me what."

"Oh…" Tawni says, before gasping, "What if he's cheating on you?"

I roll my eyes, "Tawni, not gonna happen. Have you gone crazy? This is Chad we're talking about! He loves me, so he wouldn't do that."

"Shall I slap her for you?" Zora asks, and I laugh. For once though, I don't protest against her crazy ways, and she slaps Tawni lightly on the cheek.

* * *

Okay, so I know Tawni's wrong. Even she knows she's wrong. And yet, Chad doesn't live up to his promise and call me that night. Sure, it wasn't a promise, he just doesn't call me. And I'm not saying that he is cheating on me coz he didn't call me – I'm just a little worried about him, I guess.

I see him through the week, on the set of Mackenzie Falls, but never outside. He's always busy, he says. That does worry me a little that maybe he doesn't want to see me, but I don't let it bug me too much and just get back to writing So Random sketches.

Thing is, though, whenever I see Chad, he's either really excited to see me, or in confusion mode, like he was on Monday afternoon. And Friday is the worse confusion mode of all.

It's the final scene for this week's Mackenzie Falls, and my character, Kaitlyn, has to leave because her Dad has found them a different home, away from the Falls. But if my character ends up being the one that is brought back, it will turn out that they move to the Falls instead. I know – confusing.

This has been a crazy episode – Devon revealed to Mackenzie that he was dating Chloe as well, Mackenzie was heartbroken, and ended up falling for Kaitlyn because she was the only one, besides Trevor, who was there to comfort him. Chad and I have had a lot of love scenes, and for some of them we've had fun – the ones where he was in a happy mood. But when he was acting all confused, it just felt long, and sometimes he'd forget lines or something like that. And he was a much better actor on the happy mood days.

I take my position on the stage, facing away from Chad, before the cameras are put into position. Chad and I have rehearsed this scene a couple of times, and I think we're ready. I hope so anyway, as long as Chad isn't in a forgetting lines mood. Or, come to think of it, I'm not in a forgetting lines mood.

"Action!"

"_Kaitlyn!"_

_I turn around to see Mackenzie walking my way, smiling, looking perfectly cute. He has Chad to thank for that, once again. So far, so good. _

"_Mackenzie…" I say._

"_What's going on?" He asks, "Daphne told me you were leaving… why?"_

"_My dad's found a different place," I say, before adding with a shrug and a laugh, "He says this area has a bit too much drama. I have to agree with him on that one."_

"_I thought you liked the drama." Mackenzie laughs. Ahh… Chad's laugh._

"_Never said I didn't." I chuckle, before sighing, taking the rose out of my hair and giving it to him. "Take it…" I say, "Something to remember me by."_

"_No, no, I couldn't…" Mackenzie says, but I shove it into his hands and he doesn't protest anymore. A fan then goes off above us, which is meant to give it the feeling of a helicopter landing. I turn to see the "helicopter" before turning back to Mackenzie, smiling. _

"_That's my ride." I smile, walking off a little. I've walked a little way, before turning back to see a sad Mackenzie, and I give him one more smile. "This isn't the end, Mister. Promise."_

"_Good." Mackenzie smiles, and I have to resist an urge from the Sonny inside me to reply with a "Good". I wish I could've, but the writers wouldn't allow it."I'll miss you." Mackenzie sighs, and I nod._

"_I'll miss you too," I then walk back up to him, kiss him on the lips, before walking off, calling back, "See ya round!" I then walk off the set, leaving Chad and Ferguson (who's just arrived) to finish the scene. _

Afterwards, we all clap as Rhonda says it's a wrap, and I hug Chad tightly, who hugs me back.

"You were awesome." I say.

"You too." He replies, before grabbing my chin and making me look at him, "Um, meet me in my dressing room later, okay?"

"Sure." I say, smiling suspiciously. I wonder what he wants me for… I give him one last kiss on the cheek before walking back to So Random for a little while. When I arrive though, only Zora and Tawni are in the Prop House, and when I ask them where the boys are, they say they got an emergency text and had to go see a friend. Huh. I wonder what they're doing…

Chad's POV

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Nico says, getting up from where he and Grady are sat on my couch in my dressing room, "You're thinking of doing what now?"

"I don't know…" I moan. I thought bringing these guys here would help with my decision on whether to propose to Sonny or not – you know, as like, a little hinter on how others may react because of the age thing. I want to do it, I really do, but it's other people who are stopping me. I know if Sonny and I were just to run off with no-one knowing we'd gone, we'd be fine, but I know that's not Sonny's plan. She wants to have one of those big, amazing, family weddings, which means we need other people's approval. So, I'm using Nico and Grady as testers. So far, it ain't going well.

"You want to propose to her?" Nico says, "But you're eighteen!"

"That's exactly my problem." I say, resting my head in my hands.

"Well, I guess it's up to you…" Grady says, "But it is a little early to be getting married…"

I remember my cast mate's words from Monday. "But we wouldn't get married straight away," I say, "We could wait a few years. And, since it's obvious Sonny and I are gonna spend the rest of our lives together, it's not like we'd be making a mistake."

"Well, I guess…" Nico shrugs.

"We just want you and Sonny to be happy…" Grady adds.

"So it's up to you." Nico finishes, "Just… good luck convincing the family of it."

"Chad?"

There's suddenly a knock on the door and I jump, before realising that it's Sonny.

"Come in, Sonny." I say, and she walks in, grinning. Wow. She looks cute. She's changed from the Mackenzie Falls outfit to a beautiful purple sundress, and light make-up. She looks amazing. What a great time to propose! Oh, but I don't have a ring… oh well, she's got the promise ring…

"I guess we'll leave you guys alone then." Nico says with a wink, before him and Grady leave, shutting the door behind them.

"What were they doing here?" Sonny asks with a smile.

"Oh, I was just talking to them about something." I say, "You know, about So Random next week."

"Oh, cool!" Sonny smiles, before taking a seat on the couch. I sit with her, sighing, shuffling around. Okay, let's think about this proposal thing. If I did propose, we would be guaranteed to be together forever. But I know her family and my family want us to wait a little while before we go throwing away our lives. But then, it's not like we'd be making the wrong decision, coz we're never gonna break up again. Then again, eighteen is still a super early time to get engaged. But on the other hand, we don't have to get married straight away. Yeah. That's a good point. Okay, proposal. Let's do this thing!

After a few seconds silence, I decide to speak. "Uh, Sonny?" I say.

"Yes?" She says, looking at me. Darn those cute eyes! _Just say it! Say something! Anything? _

"I, um, I was just thinking…" I begin, before hitting a dead end. _C'mon! Just ask her to marry you! It's not that hard! _It is that hard! _You suck._

"Thinking what?" She asks, looking into my eyes. Which forces me to look into hers.

"I, just, um… I thought maybe we should…" I can't do it. _Yes you can. _No, I can't! I sigh, "Never mind. It's not important."

"Oh…" Sonny frowns. I hate to see her frown. _Well, then you should've proposed! _Shut up. "Well, I've gotta go home." Sonny continues, getting up and walking to the door.

"Okay…" I say, watching her go, "See you later." _See you later? What? Do something! C'mon, man, pull yourself together! _

"Love you." She shouts back.

"Love you too." I reply. _Not enough to propose though. _Ugh. Inner thoughts, seriously, shut up. _Not until you freaking propose! _Too late. She's gone. She walks out of my dressing room, leaving me alone to slap myself for being a chicken. That really could've gone better…

Sonny's POV

After a few minutes of hanging in the dressing room with Tawni and Zora, I decide to head to see what Chad wanted. I've changed out of the Mack Falls uniform and into a purple dress that I found in my closet, because I wanted to look good for him. Especially because of when he asked me to come along, it seemed very serious. That makes me excited, and scared, all in one!

I arrive at his dressing room to hear talking on the inside, but it's kind of muffled. I'm pretty sure I hear something about me though.

"Chad?" I say, knocking lightly on the door, and after a few seconds, he replies.

"Come in, Sonny."

I open the door and walk in, smiling, happy to finally be able to spend some time with my boyfriend outside of work. He smiles when he sees me, and I notice two other people are here too. Nico and Grady? Huh, well that solves the mystery of where they went.

"I guess we'll leave you guys alone then." Nico says, pushing Grady out of the door, and I watch them, confused, before turning back to Chad with a smile.

What were they doing here?" I ask him, and he shrugs.

"Oh, I was just talking to them about something," He says, which makes me suspicious. What kind of something? "You know, about So Random next week." He adds, as if he read my mind.

"Oh, cool!" I say, before collapsing onto the couch in the middle of Chad's room, and he does the same, sitting next to me, wrapping his arm around my back. He shuffles around a little, awkwardly, uncomfortably, before stopping when I guess he's finally cosy.

"Uh, Sonny?" He says after a few moments of silence, and I turn to face him.

"Yes?" I ask. He looks at me, smiling, and I suddenly find myself getting lost once again in those ocean blue eyes. Chad does that same with mine though, before snapping out of it, shaking his head, and looking back at me, this time avoiding eye contact.

"I, um, I was just thinking…" He says, before pausing, groaning a little. Hmm. Something must be on his mind again.

"Thinking what?" I ask, gazing into his eyes. They don't look the same though – they look foggy, like Chad's hurt or upset or confused. That suddenly hits something in my heart and I start to panic. Is he okay?

"I, just, um…" Chad continues, stuttering nervously, "I thought maybe we should…" He then sighs, dropping his hands into his lap and looking away from me. "Never mind." He says glumly, "It's not important."

"Oh…" Is about all I can say. I frown, worried about Chad. he said it's not important, but it must be if he's going through all this trouble to tell me. I want to question it a little, but I then look into his eyes, which still look murky and foggy and sad, and I realise perhaps now is not the best time to question anything. I guess he's just tired after such a busy week. "Well, I've gotta go home." I say, getting up and heading for the door. Chad doesn't stop me. he just stays there, sat glumly.

"Okay…" He says, letting out a deep sigh, "See you later."

"Love you." I say, opening the door to his dressing room.

"Love you too." He replies. I shut the door behind me, suddenly panicking. What is wrong with him? What did he want? Why did he go to tell me and then decide that it wasn't important? It must've been important, if he wanted to talk to me about it… oh my gosh, I'm so confused…

I catch up with Nico and Grady in the hallway, hoping they know something.

"Guys?" I say, "Do you know what's wrong with Chad? He wanted to ask me something and then he said it wasn't important."

"Oh…" They both mumble. "Weird."

"I'm really worried about him…" I sigh, "Something's definitely up. If you guys figure out what it is, please tell me."

"Will do." Grady smiles, before I head back to my dressing room, thoughts flooding my head. What if he wanted to break up? What if he was gonna say he was moving? He could be leaving me, or something, and he doesn't want to tell me because it'll upset me!

Or… maybe he wants us to move in together, or take the next step in our relationship, but he's too worried to ask in case I reject him!

Whatever it is, I know it can't be 'not important'. And whatever it is, I'm determined to figure it out…

* * *

**Hmm... I thought that was random waffle, but oh well. It's a chapter, right?**

**Anyways... For those of you who haven't visited my profile in a while and don't read Quite The Opposite probably don't know that I have a Twitter account! My username is AmyTheLovatic, and I'm planning to use it as a FanFiction hint-dropping place, especially for this story. So, if y'all have an account on Twitter, follow me! And if you tell me you're such-and-such from FanFiction, odds are I'll follow you back :)**

**So... let's see if we can get more reviews than last time! (It's not gonna be hard, really.) Review please! :D**

**~Amy x**


	45. Chad Comes To Dinner

**Hey-hey! It's me! :D**

**Glad you liked last chapter! I didn't, so glad someone did ;) And I like this chapter now, so...**

**I won't waffle on about random stuff, I'll just say that I don't own SWAC and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 45 - Chad Comes To Dinner**

Chad's POV

I head home that night with a plan. Okay, so I chickened out of proposing to Sonny today… but next time, I'm gonna make sure I'm prepared.

So, I have a kind-of plan. I know I'm going to propose to Sonny in the next week – even if it's on So Random, in front of the millions of viewers, I have to do it sometime this week. If not, I might not get the chance, or the courage, to do so for another few years.

I spend the whole of Saturday trying to find the perfect ring, which is lucky, because Sonny texts me on Friday night to say that she's busy this weekend and can't hang out. That's great – more alone time to find the perfect thing for her. I do find the one though – an amazing, sparkling ring with countless little diamonds around it and a big diamond on the top. I know Sonny doesn't like it too much when I spoil her – but it's the freaking engagement ring. It's gotta be perfect – and expensive. I also get the man to engrave a special message on the inside. Sure, that's extra fee, but Sonny's worth it.

I then spend some of Sunday trying to plan what I'm gonna say to her – I know. Weird. but I want this to be absolutely perfect. Sonn deserves no less than perfect, so that's what she's getting.

I go to bed that night with a positive attitude about the whole thing and the ring sat at my bedside, knowing that this time next week, I'm gonna be an engaged man.

Sonny's POV

"_And now, let's get back to Mackenzie Falls…"_

I'm sat in front of the TV in the living room with my Mom, my Uncle Stuart, Auntie Lisa, and their two kids, 10 year old Emma and 7 year old Willow, watching my guest-starring episode on Mackenzie Falls on Sunday night. I know Mackenzie Falls used to air on a Wednesday, but it's been changed around now. I don't know why – something to do with the ratings and the audience or something like that.

I really didn't know my family were coming for a visit (or a small chunk of my family anyway) – when I arrived home on Friday they were just here, and I was glad to see them, really. It means I haven't been able to visit Chad though, which is a shame because I want to know what's wrong with him. But I've had fun over the weekend, and I'll be able to see Chad tomorrow, when I go back to work, especially since he's guest-starring on So Random this week to pay for our little bet. So no worries, right?

The last few minutes of the show go by quickly, and at the end, everyone claps and cheers for me, except Willow, who's fast asleep on my lap, a brown curl of hair stuck to her forehead. I giggle – she must be so tired from our little tour around Hollywood yesterday. Tawni offered to show the relatives around Hollywood , and she was amazing with keeping Willow and Emma awake and entertained. And I thought she was only good with Abby – but Tawni's good with all kids. Huh, I never thought I'd say this, but she'd make an awesome mother someday!

"That was amazing, Sonny!" Auntie Lisa says with a grin, which makes me blush. "You and Mackenzie were so sweet together! I can see why you guys are together in real life."

"Speaking of which, when do we get to meet the boy?" Uncle Stu asks, and I cringe at his tone. Ever since my Dad left, Uncle Stu really was my father figure. Which means, any guy who wants to be with me has to pass the Stu test. No, really. It's kind of embarrassing, and he's not even my real dad! I guess he's just very protective to his family – we're all so close, we all care about each other so much.

"Uh, I could invite him round tomorrow for dinner." I say, before turning to my Mom, who's sat on the couch with the other adults. I put on a bright, happy voice and chirp, "That okay, mother dear?"

"It's fine." She says bitter-sweetly, "As long as nothing _goes on. _You remember last time?"

Oh yeah… the mud-fight incident. I feel so embarrassed at its mention, it's like my cheeks have been suddenly dyed red, and it feels like someone's turned the heating up by about 1000 degrees.

"Mom!" I hiss, "We weren't doing anything!"

"Good." She says sternly, "Best keep it that way."

"Don't worry, Mom." I say, resisting from rolling my eyes, "Chad and I are fine the way we are – we won't do anything like that… now can we change the subject, please?"

"Yes, please." Emma says, "I don't even know what you guys are talking about, and I really don't think I want to."

"No," I giggle, "You really don't."

The subject is changed after this, luckily for me. I'm just glad no-one asks me for anymore info on mine and Chad's relationship – I hate being interrogated about it. It's quite scary, and very awkward.

* * *

The next day, I walk into the So Random studio with a smile on my face. Sure, I kind of miss the hustle-and-bustle of working on a number-one drama show, but as they say, there's no place like home. And for me, So Random is my second Hollywood home – and the cast are my second family.

"Hey, Sonny!" Tawni says as she notices me, and she hands me this week's script, smiling. "Haven't seen you in a while, stranger!"

I laugh, "I was on last week's show, remember? Just because I was working on Mackenzie Falls doesn't mean I forgot about you guys!"

"Promise? She says, putting on a pouty face, and I just laugh and hug her. "So where's our guest star for this week?" She asks, pulling away from the hug and looking round for, I presume, Chad, "I'm surprised you guys didn't come in together tied to each other's waists!"

I roll my eyes and flick her with the script, before hearing steps behind me, creeping up sneakily. I chuckle. Must be the not-so-quiet footsteps of my boyfriend.

"Guess who?" He coos, covering my eyes with his hands, and I try not to laugh.

"I know it's you, you idiot." I say.

"_You_ who?" He says in that same chirpy voice, and I snort with laughter.

"_You_, as in, Chad Dylan Cooper _you_." I say, before adding with a laugh and innocent eyes, "You haven't got amnesia now, have you Chaddy?"

He holds back a laugh, before mimicking my innocent face and saying, "Who's Chaddy?"

I bite back another laugh and flick him with my script, and Tawni giggles next to me.

"That thing is a lethal weapon with you, _Sonshine_." She smirks, mimicking Chad's nickname for me, before walking over to the others, and I turn to face Chad with a happy smile.

"Hi…" I say, swaying from side to side in a lovey-dovey motion.

"Hi…" He replies, doing the same thing. I try to carry out some kind of conversation, but right now, I don't know why, I feel more in love with him than ever. And something tells me he feels the same. And that means the only word that can come out of our mouths is…

"Hi…" I repeat after a few seconds of silence. I then remember how he acted on Friday and my bubbling mood goes slightly flat like an old bottle of soda. "Is everything okay?" I ask him, "I mean, after what happened Friday…"

"Yeah!" He grins, putting an arm around my back and leading me to the other Randoms, "What is there to not be okay about? I've got a wonderful girlfriend, awesome job, great family…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" I say, digging my feet into the ground (which I know sounds weird considering the ground is lino) and turning to face him. "Who are you and what have you done with my Chaddy?"

Chad then smirks, "Okay, you got me." He says, putting his hands up in mock surrender, "I abducted him for an experiment on awesome people of the Earth."

I giggle uncontrollably.

"I'm serious," He says with a sneer, "He's up in my spaceship having his awesomeness drained from him by some big space-y machine thing."

"Yeah…" I say in-between my laughs (which sound kinda crazed…), "Real convincing, ET."

"Hey, Chad!" Tawni yells from the other side of the room, "Leave Sonny alone! If she laughs anymore she may die!"

"I'm not gonna stop it!" Chad shouts back, "I'm enjoying the laughter too much to let it stop!"

I whack Chad once again with the script, wrapping an arm around him and leading him to the other Randoms. Hmm, I guess, whatever was wrong with Chad on Friday, it's been solved. He sure seems happy now. "Let's just get over there, you freak." I say, dragging him along by the hand.

"Ah, but I'm your freak." He winks.

"Seriously…" I laugh, "What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Sonny-Son." He says, "Just getting in the random mood ready for being a Random this week. Besides, I have an awesome surprise for you in the next few days…"

"Ooh! A surprise?" I say, "Me like surprises! Tell me what it is!"

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" He laughs, and I tilt my head in thought.

No. I guess not.

"So, did you see the Mackenzie Falls yesterday?" Chad asks, and I nod.

"I watched it with my family, and they all loved it!" I say with a happy squeal.

"Your family?" Chad asks, his brow crinkling in confusion. Ah, he looks so cute when he does that.

"Yeah, my family." I say, "Well, a small chunk of 'em. They came to visit for the weekend, and they're going home tomorrow morning." A lightbulb then goes off in my head as I remember what they asked of me last night, "How would you like to come round to my house tonight for dinner to meet them?"

"Tonight?" He asks with a smile, and I nod. "I'd love to."

"Good!" I chirp.

"Good." He winks back, and I realise what I've started.

"Fine."

"Fine."

We continue our little fight for ages, until finally all the Randoms simultaneously tell us to shut up, and we laugh and high-five each other in our successful efforts to annoy everyone, before Marshall arrives and rehearsals start.

* * *

The day of rehearsals goes quick, and it's not long before I'm at home, getting ready for Chad's visit. I root through my closet, trying to find my best dress, and after a few minutes (cough, two hours, cough) I finally find something suitable – a silver dress with spaghetti straps, and a black sequinned cardigan **(I'm not sure, is that what you guys call them in America? I really don't know…)**, along with a necklace with two diamond-encrusted charms on – a 'C' and an 'S', as in Chad and Sonny, which Chad bought me for my eighteenth birthday. I touch up my make-up a little, before running into the hallway just as the doorbell rings. I gulp anxiously as I open the door.

I don't know why I'm so nervous – I'm acting like this is our first date! I guess I just want everyone to enjoy it, and, more importantly, to get along with Chad. If my family approve of him, I'll know he's the one (not that I don't know that now).

I open the door, twirling a length of my hair around my finger, beaming like an idiot. There, looking handsome as usual, stands Chad, smiling, holding a bunch of multi-colored flowers. He looks incredible, as usual.

"Hey!" He grins when he sees me, straightening his navy blue jacket. I scan the rest of his outfit, the clean white shirt, the black jeans… he looks so handsome…

"Hi…" I say flirtatiously, "You look great!"

"You too…" He says, scanning me, before looking up into my eyes, "As usual, of course." He then looks behind me and beams, "Hey, Ms Munroe! These are for you…"

He hands Mom the flowers, who I've only just realised is behind me. She takes the flowers, smiling. "Thanks, Chad!" She grins, "They're lovely…"

Mom walks off to put them in water, and Chad puts an arm around me. "Don't worry sweetie," He says, kissing me lightly on the cheek, "I've got a present for you too."

"Ooh!" I grin, clapping quietly, "Can I see it yet?"

"Not yet…" He says softly, "Just wait a little, Sonshine."

"Fine." I groan.

"Fine." He winks. I don't carry on the fight though; instead, I lead him into the living room, where the family are waiting. When they notice us enter, they smile.

"Ah, so this is him!" Auntie Lisa says, looking up from her book and peering at Chad over the rim of her reading glasses. Uncle Stu does the same (minus the glasses thing because he doesn't have glasses, and yes, my family are intense book-readers. I once dared my Aunt to read the whole of the Twilight Saga and she did it in 4 days. Wowza, right?), and I suddenly feel Chad's hand tense up a little. So I squeeze it tightly for comfort and I feel him relax a little, before walking up to the couch, going to shake Stu's hand and give Lisa a peck on the cheek, which makes me giggle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Chad says politely, "Sonny's always talking about how much she cares about her family, and I've been wanting to meet the clan for ages."

The two of them smile and nod approvingly to Chad's first words to them, and I inwardly cheer for my boyfriend. So far, so good!

"Dinner's ready!" Mom yells from the kitchen/dining room, and we all head into the room, Chad gripping onto my hand and trying to restrain himself from running in there, and I feel the sudden need to snigger at him. I know Chad – when he's hungry, he's more like a starved bull. Gotta love him.

* * *

"So, Chad…" Uncle Stu says after a few minutes of random conversation while tucking into his dinner, "How long have you known Sonny?"

Uh oh. Munroe-family boyfriend-interrogation time. Chad seems to take it okay though; he's answered every one of the questions thrown at him so far with a smile and an honest answer that's managed to please the whole table. And, if his confident body language is anything to go by, this topic on me and him is gonna be no different. Ha, my boyfriend rocks!

"Uh, it's been almost three years…" He says, "But we've been a sort-of couple for about two years." He then turns to me with a big smile spreading across his adorable face, "That's about right, isn't it, Sonshine?"

"Yeah…" I reminisce, "Two awesome years, with a little break in the middle."

"An _agonising _break." Chad adds, which makes me giggle.

"But you know what they say…" I grin, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"That was definitely the case here…" Chad says, before kissing me lightly on the cheek, causing the women in the room (including me) to "Aw". Well, except the girls, Emma and Willow, who pulls faces and groan.

"Ah, someday you girls will feel the same way." I say with a smirk, before giving Chad a return kiss, and they both groan simultaneously.

"Not while we're eating, please!" Emma moans, before cautiously pushing her food around her plate and then dropping her knife and fork onto the plate and folding her arms, "I think I'm put off my food now." She huffs.

"You hadn't touched it anyway." Lisa says.

"And I won't now." Emma insists. Lisa groans at her daughter's fussiness, and begins to get up to talk to her, but Chad stops her.

"Allow me…" He says, getting up and walking over to Emma, before whispering something into her ear. The moment he does, she grabs her cutlery again and starts tucking into her food like she hasn't eaten in years. Chad sits back down next to me and winks at me, leading everyone else to gaze at him in awe.

"How the heck did you do that?" Lisa asks, "She's so fussy at home…"

"Easy," Chad shrugs, "I have a stubborn brother at home who I've been taking care of for quite a while. You start to learn the tricks on what makes them happy."

Lisa grips her chest in shock and sighs sympathetically, "You take care of your brother all on your own?"

"And sister." Chad adds, "But not on my own. At least, not now that I have Sonny."

"Aw…" Lisa sighs, "That's so sweet! Something tells me you two would make excellent parents one day."

"We know." Chad grins.

"Speaking of which…" Lisa continues, "Have you two thought about, well, you know… the future? I know it's a hard topic to think of, but… have you?"

Chad suddenly sparks up a little and he smiles shyly, "It's funny you'd mention that, ma'am," He says. Huh, what does he mean by that? "We have thought about it a little. But we haven't really done anything about it."

"That's not true…" I protest, "You gave me the promise ring."

"True…" Chad says, "But… I've wanted to say something to you, Sonny, for a few days now. A week ago, I wouldn't have even thought of it, but now… I know that I have to say it, because I love you and never want to lose you. I was gonna wait till later in the week until I said this, but I just now will do just fine too. And I don't care how crazy it makes me sound, because I just… I want to be with you forever…"

He then takes my right hand. I can feel him shaking, nervous, and I start to wonder what he's about to say. _Think about what he just said, you idiot. He's gonna… you know? _No, I don't. _Ugh, you're hopeless. _Oh my God. Is he…? _Looks like it, genius._

He then fishes around in his back pocket, and I suddenly feel sick with nerves. I can't believe this is really happening… the air is so thin, so tense… you could cut it with a butter knife. He pulls out a small, velvet box, and I gasp with shock, surprise, and happiness. He then opens the box and I'm blinded by the shine coming from inside the box. You may not be surprised to hear that, although I'm nervous and totally shocked… I'm also excited beyond belief!

"You've probably guessed what I'm about to say…" Chad chuckles, "And I know it's a little bit of a surprise, but… Sonny, will you marry me?"

The air is so quiet, you could hear a penny drop. I feel my cheeks grow from grinning, and I try to say something, but I'm honestly speechless. In a good way though, believe me.

"I know we said we were gonna wait," Chad is saying, "But to be honest… why wait? It's not like we'd be making the wrong decision coz we're never gonna break up, right?"

All I can do is nod.

"And we don't have to get married straight away, right?" He continues, "I guess we can wait a few years before we actually do get married… but I just want you to know that I love you so much, and, well, that's what I'm doing this for. So… what do you say?"

I open my mouth to say 'Yes', but my throat is dry, and my heart is thumping like a drum. I also feel a little sick from all the excitement. But it's a good kind of sick… if that's even possible.

"Chad, I'd…" I finally find the breath and the words to thank him for this amazing gesture and to accept his proposal, until I notice the panic-struck look on my mother's face in the background. She grabs a few people's finished plates and gets up, avoiding eye contact with anyone, before heading to the kitchen. I watch her go in a panic. Is she okay? What do I do? I can't leave Chad just hanging like this, but my mother…

"I'll be right back, Chad," I say, "My Mom…"

"It's okay." Chad smiles a little, wiping away the slight disappointment and changing it to understanding, "You go."

I smile at him thankfully, before getting up and walking into the kitchen. When I get there, Mom is sat at the breakfast table, looking confused and upset.

"Mom?" I say softly, and she looks up to see me with a frown, "I-is everything okay?"

"I don't know, Sonny…" She says, "I'm worried about this thing with you and Chad…"

"You think he's moving too fast?" I ask, and she nods sadly. I take a seat next to her. "Mom, it's okay. Chad and I will be fine. I want to say yes to him, I really do, and if that scares you a little that I'm saying it so quick… I'm sorry, but I know I'm not going to be making the wrong decision."

"That's what I thought when your father proposed to me when I was your age." Mom blurts out, and I suddenly freeze up.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"I thought nothing would break up me and your father either," She continues, "Until he just left."

I frown, "Mom, you think Chad's gonna just leave me?"

She doesn't react.

"Coz he won't," I say, "Chad loves me – he wouldn't do that."

I've never exactly known the true story of my Mom and Dad – except for the fact that when I came along, Dad left. And it wasn't like my Mom was young when she had me either – my Dad was just a jerk, the way I heard it.

"Chad would never do that." I say, feeling tears sting in the back of my eyes at the very thought of it.

"Please, honey, just think about it…" Mom says, holding my hands tightly, "Getting married at eighteen?"

"Well, we won't get married right away," I protest, "Chad just said we could wait years before we actually do!"

"I don't know, sweetie…" She says, "Just… take it from someone who's experienced this – maybe you should wait a little before you do say yes to a boy, whether it's Chad or not…"

"It _will _be Chad." I say, "I know it will."

"You don't know thought, Sonny, that's the thing." Mom says, "You never know. Something bad could happen to break you two up, and believe me – that's a much easier thing to get through when you're just boyfriend and girlfriend rather than husband and wife. I just want you to be happy…"

"Fine." I say, "Then let me be happy. Let me go in there and tell Chad that I'd love to marry him."

"Fine." Mom frowns, "You do that. Do that, and then live to regret it."

I scowl at my Mom for even daring to suggest that Chad wouldn't stay with me forever. We love each other so much… we're not going to break up! Even though Mom has a point… no, she doesn't! She can't be right… Chad loves me… I know he does…

I think he does.

No, I _know _he does.

…Don't I?

I walk back into the dining room, where everyone, including Chad, is still sat. Chad's face lights up when he sees me. I think he's just happy to see my Mom didn't force me to run away from here and never come back.

"So… Sonny?" He asks, flashing the ring once more. "What do you say?"

I smile at him, happy. Isn't this what I've wanted for years? But then, seeing my Mom worried like that… it hurt. And she has a point, waited a few years wouldn't hurt… but then, getting married now wouldn't either.

Oh… what to do?

* * *

**Yeah... cliff-hanger. Sorry... review and I'll give you her answer quicker! :D**

**So what do you think? What will she say? What will everyone else say about it? Review! :D**


	46. So, What Do You Say?

**Heehee... I know. I was totally evil last chapter. But here it is! The next chapter of LWMS! And yes, Sonny will give Chad her answer this chapter.**

**It's a pretty short chapter, sure, but I wanted to get this up because so many people wanted to me to update yesterday. I failed you guys there... but it's here now!**

**Wow! This story's on over 100,000 words! Me proud :')**

**Before you get reading though, I wanna thank you guys for your awesome review! I'm 19 away from 400 reviews! I think we can get there in the next 2 or 3 chapter, don't you? :D**

**So... enjoy! :D**

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**Chapter 46 - So, What Do You Say?**

Chad's POV

Well… that didn't go as planned.

Something tells me that was the total wrong move. Sure, Sonny seemed fine with it, but her Mom… why didn't I listen to my natural insecurities that said that her Mom would hate this? Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Now the air in the room is awkward, clumsy, and I'm to blame. Why did I have to listen to my cast? If I hadn't have done that, I wouldn't be in this situation now. Ugh, note to self – never listen to my cast mates again. _Never _again. Never, ever, ever, **_ever_ **again_._

And I'm pretty sure the Munroe's hate me now. Connie particularly, and everyone else, most likely. Especially Uncle Stu, coz he's Connie's brother and very protective, according to what Sonny told me.

I'm dead to this family. _Dead. _Maybe even to Sonny. Maybe she just went out to the kitchen where her Mom told her to run away and never come back, to avoid me forever. And maybe Sonny listened and has gone. Damn it.

I then hear the click of a door and look over to see Sonny walk in with a weak smile on her face, and I feel my lips twist into a smile and my cheeks turn a slightly embarrassing shade of pink. I suddenly feel so nervous, but happy to see Sonny didn't escape my proposal through the back door.

"So… Sonny? What do you say?" I ask, because even though she's smiling, she's still not giving away her answer. For one of the first times in me and Sonny history, I'm actually clueless of what she's gonna say. And I'm slightly worried she'll say no.

Sonny opens her mouth to say something. She looks into the corner of the room, where I know her Mom is now standing. She nods at her, which makes my stomach twist in worry, before turning back to me.

"I- I say…" She sighs, before breaking out into a smile. She says something else that sounds like "Yes", but out of shock and nerves I can't hear it that well.

"W-what?" I stutter, and she grin, chuckling.

"Yes." She says. At that second, my hands go shaky, and I'm sure my eyes well up with tears. I blink them back though, because I should be happy. And I am!

"Yes, yes, a million times yes!" Sonny is saying, before she flings herself at me, giggling gleefully. It's that moment when I realise what's really happening. My girlfriend, the girl I love the most in the world, my Sonshine… she's now my fiancée. I don't know how, but I'm now laughing. I pick Sonny up bridal style, planting a kiss on her lips, suddenly feeling totally refreshed and ecstatic and just glad to be alive.

It's finally sinking in. Sonny Munroe… is my fiancée? It's almost too good to be true. This is what I've wanted for years…and it's finally happening.

I look around the room for other's reactions. Stu and Lisa seem happy – confused and a little suspicious, but happy. Willow, the younger kid, looks kind of confused at what's happening, and the older girl, Emma, is looking at us like we're one of those adorable romance movies. And then there's Connie. I look over at her in the corner of the room to see her frowning slightly. Thing is, she's frowning at me. She then notices that I'm looking at her and sighs.

"Look after her." She mouths to me.

"I will." I mouth back. At this, she loosens up, before a smile quietly creeps up on her lips. She nods approvingly, and I suddenly feel relaxed. Huh. Maybe Connie's gonna be fine with this marriage. At least, I hope. I smile at her and look back to my beautiful girlfriend… _fiancée, _who is grinning like crazy. But with the teeth-baring grin, the slightly teary eyes, the bright-red cheeks… she still manages to look like an angel. And a beautiful one, at that. My beautiful angel.

"Hooray for Sonny and Chad!" A voice suddenly cries out, and Sonny and I lift our heads and look around to see Connie grinning, clapping. The uproar spreads across the room – sure, there are only five other people in here besides me and Sonny, but everyone is smiling, congratulating us. I turn to Sonny with a grin, before noticing the ring, still lying in the velvet box on the dinner table. I pick it up, flashing it to Sonny, before winking at her.

"May I?" I ask, and she nods, grinning her stunning trademark grin. So I slip the ring delicately onto her finger. The light suddenly catches the biggest diamond and Sonny giggles, holding out her hand and scanning the ring, studying it. She smirks at me.

"Yep," She says, "Very expensive, I can tell."

I shrug, "Only the best for Mrs Allison Sonny Cooper."

She grins, chuckling sweetly, before I plant one more kiss onto her strawberry-tasting lips. I pull away after a few seconds, cuddling her gently.

"I love you, Sonny." I whisper, and I feel the simple smile form.

"I love you too." She replies softly, "And I always will. I promise"

"Me too," I say, "Promise."

Sonny's POV

A few hours later, Chad and I are the only ones still awake. Everyone else has already gone to bed, but Chad and I are so hyped that we decided to try and pull an all-nighter. Right now, it's 1:25am, and we're watching some really ancient, unbelievably cheesy rom-com that we came across while channel surfing. Two half-full hot cocoa mugs sit on the coffee table in front of us, and Chad and I are cuddling – his arm is around my back and my head is resting on his chest. It's really comfy, and I feel secure and protected in his arms. Earlier, we were watching a really scary movie – my first scary movie. I was terrified, but I didn't care. I had Chad to protect me.

This whole thing only sunk in after a few minutes of it really happening. Chad proposed, as in, _marriage_. And I said yes. I am now engaged… to be _married_. I never knew what that would feel like, and I always wanted to know. It makes me feel in love and happy and confused and beautiful and my head is spinning so fast with so many emotions that I don't know whether to start laughing like an idiot or crying tears of joy into my boyfriend's – fiancé's – shirt.

So, instead, I'm just sat on the sofa of my living room, bickering with Chad about this crazy relationship the people in the movie are having.

"Just propose, man!" Chad screams at the TV, and I hold in a giggle.

"But what will her family say?" I ask.

"To hell with her family!" Chad yells. I giggle. He always gets so worked up about this kind of thing. Chad, my fiancé, the romance nut. "He should take it from me – the girl freaking _loves_ you, get over your fears and do it! Don't keep the lady waiting!"

I just burst out laughing at this. "Rich!" I wink, "You sure kept me waiting."

"For two years." He shrugs defensively, and I laugh.

"For my whole life." I say, brushing my lips against his cheek. I'm now so close to him, I can feel his warm breath on my face. "It's okay, though," I grin, "You're here now."

"Yup," He says, "And I'm never gonna go away."

"I know." I whisper, before he leans in once more for a kiss. I kiss him back, wrapping my arms around him as he runs his fingers through my hair. We probably would've gone further, had Willow not walked into the room at that moment to get a glass of water. We pull away in shock, and look at her with innocent smiles.

Busted.

Willow heads back to her room, leaving us to look at each other and explode laughing in amusement.

"Close call…" Chad says as I wipe a tear of laughter from my eye, wrapping my arms around him and settling back down to watch the movie. Somewhere between that moment and the end of the movie, I find myself falling asleep on the sofa, with Chad as my pillow and dreams of being a blushing bride one day.

It's finally happening. I am finally engaged to the man I love. And it's the most amazing feeling in the world.

Chad's POV

Well, the whole "all-nighter" thing didn't work out, coz Sonny and I fell asleep. I blame that movie – it was boring. That, and the fact that being snuggled up with your fiancée is the most comforting and tranquil thing in the world. No lie.

I wake up the next morning to see Sonny's little cousins sat on the other couch, watching us like we're some comedy show.

"Finally, you're awake!" Emma moans, "I've been wanting that seat for ages!"

I roll my eyes, before noticing that Sonny is lying on my Chabs. I smirk. She looks so beautiful and peaceful-looking when she sleeps – with her brunette hair sprawled across her face delicately, and that smile that says "I'm dreaming and I'm enjoying it"… she just looks like a sleeping angel.

I then feel a vibration in my stomach that sounds like a bear, and I realise I'm hungry. Well, I should be. I haven't eaten since 7 last night and it's now… noon. Wow. Talk about sleeping in.

I get up, trying not to disturb Sonny's slumber (and fail, because afterwards she looks a little uncomfortable), before striding into the kitchen to get a little snack. I then notice that Connie and Lisa are in here already, Connie making sandwiches, presumably for lunch and Lisa sat on the breakfast table, drinking a coffee. Damn, I wish I had a coffee. I could really use the wake-up call right now.

"Morning, Chad!" Connie chirps, smiling as I take an apple from the fruit bowl. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh… yeah." I mumble, rubbing my eyes. Whether it's at the fact I have sleep dust in them or the confusion at Connie's kind tone when she was so hostile to me and Sonny getting married yesterday (Sonny told me about it last night), I don't know.

"Good, good!" She grins, which almost makes me laugh. It's strange to hear that word said twice and not be followed by a fine, fine (me and Sonny reference. Cue cheesy I-just-made-a-joke wink). "Would you like a sandwich or something?"

"Um… no thanks." I say with a forced smile at her kindness. Why is she being so nice when she apparently hated the idea of me and Sonny getting married last night? Beats me.

"Okay then." She says, walking up to me, before lowering her voice a little, "I'm sorry about how I acted last night." She whispers, "I had an experience a little like yours and Sonny's when I was younger, but it didn't turn out to well…"

I blink. She must've got engaged as young as we have…

"I know it won't turn out bad for you two though." She says, "Just… make sure you take care of her."

"I will." I smile, "Promise."

Connie nods approvingly, smiling, and I head back into the living room, where Sonny is still fast asleep.

"I miss my pillow…" She mumbles in her sleep, and I laugh, sitting back on the couch and placing her head on my stomach.

"I'm ba-ack!" I say, and I see her smile in her deep slumber.

"Hello again, pillow." She murmurs, making me and the two cousins in the room burst out laughing.

"Can we draw on her face?" Emma asks with pleading eyes, and I smirk.

"As much as I'd love to… I don't think Sonny or her boss would appreciate random squiggles on her face when she walked into work later."

Oh crap…

Work! I look over to the clock, which says 12:11pm. Damn it. We're over two hours late!

I shake Sonny in an effort to wake her up. "Stop shaking me, pillow." She murmurs, before coming round, looking up at me with a smile. "Mornin', future husband." She coos.

"Mornin', soon-to-be wife," I say, "Problem – we're late for work."

Sonny's eyes open wide, "How late?"

"Like, if we don't get there in 15 seconds, we might get fired."

Sonny gulps, getting up, "Crap…"

We spend the next ten minutes running around like headless chickens (weird saying), luckily arriving at Condor Studios at 12:30pm, when So Random go on lunch break on a Tuesday. Marshall is very suspicious of us, but we explain that we slept in and he forgives us without another word. Tawni eyes us suspiciously though.

"Did you guys sleep _together_ or something?" She asks, and both Sonny and I pull a face. Ew, no! Sonny and me are still totally innocent! We haven't, you know, once! Sonny explains this to Tawni, who smirks.

"Is there something different about you?" She asks Sonny, scanning her, and we both shrug. Probably the fact that she is now an engaged woman. And that I'm an engaged man. We don't tell Tawni that. We decided last night not to tell anyone about this whole thing, not yet. We'll announce it when we're ready.

At that moment, Sonny's phone buzzes. She takes it out of her pocket, scans the screen, before her eyes widen. Whether this is good or bad, I don't really know.

"What was it?" I ask as she puts her phone back in her pocket.

"Apparently that Mackenzie Falls episode was a hit…" She says, "And they want me to become a regular character."

* * *

**THEY IS ENGAGED! *blows party blower*. I know, like, EVERYONE wanted that, considering I had about 13 reviews full of "SAY YES SAY YES!" There you go, those people! ;)**

**Yeah... apologies for the shortness, but the "yes" made up for it, right? **

**AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DEMI LOVATO! :D**

**Review for more! :D**


	47. Tiredness and an Accident

**Hey there, guys!**

**I know, it's been a long time since I last updated, but it's okay, because I'm back... and with a long and awesome chapter! :D And it's to thank y'all for being amazing, because I have it 400 reviews. To show my gratefulness, I've decided to write a one-shot for the 400th reviewer...**

**SHOUT-OUT TIME! Shout-outs go to MrB.o.B1990, who is awesome! He was my 400th reviewer and is therefore going to get that one-shot! He also has an awesome story called Sonny Verses The World. Go check it out! :D**

**Also, shout-out to nangelgirl923, and anyone else who has gone back to school already. This update is especially for all of you, especially you, Hannah! ;D**

**And last, and least, I don't own SWAC. Okay, chapter time! :D**

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**Chapter 47 - Tiredness and an Accident**

Chad's POV

"Apparently that Mackenzie Falls episode was a hit… and they want me to become a regular character."

The moment I hear this sentence, I grin. Sonny was popular? Well, it's totally understandable… and now they want her to be a regular? Wow… I usually can't see Sonny during work time – that's usually the only time, bar sleeping, that I'm away from Sonny. Now I'll get to work with her too… total dream come true!

I look to Sonny, who seems slightly less convinced.

"Ain't this awesome?" I say to her, slightly begging that she won't say 'no'.

"Well, yeah, it's cool…" She shrugs.

"But?" I say, knowing by the tone in her voice that there has to be a but.

"I dunno…" She sighs, "It would be awesome to be on your show, but it'll be so much work…"

I frown. Awh, I want Sonny to do this! It would be too cool to have her on my show – and considering her character is my character's love interest, well, that makes it even better! I won't need much acting skills for those scenes, I tell ya.

"Please?" I beg childishly, and she shrugs.

"I'll think about it. It would be fun, but a lot of work at the same time."

I nod understandingly. I guess working two shows would be pretty tough for her. I guess I won't force Sonny to join the Falls. If my Sonshine doesn't want to do something, she doesn't have to do it.

"Okay. Don't worry about your decision – if you don't wanna do it, don't do it. I really don't mind what you pick."

Okay, that's a lie. I do want her to join my show… can you really blame me? But if she doesn't want to do it, I'll just suck that up and not take it as an insult. Sonny has a busy life… she doesn't want to spend the minimum free time she has left on my show. Surely she'd much rather spend that free time with friends or family or the horses or whatever. She spends way too much time with me… I guess I don't mind if she picks not to join Mackenzie Falls… no matter how much I actually _want _her to.

At that moment, Marshall calls me to rehearse some sketch that the cast have written for me, and so Sonny smiles at me and drags me towards the stage.

Yeah, I don't mind if Sonny doesn't want to do Mackenzie Falls… much.

Sonny's POV

Okay. So now I'm a regular on Mackenzie Falls. And I still have my job at So Random. Man… I'm gonna be one busy girl.

Maybe I wouldn't have done Mackenzie Falls, if it wasn't for Chad. On Tuesday, when I got the text, Chad seemed so excited. Then I wasn't too sure, and he seemed a little… well, sad that I was hesitant. I think he wanted me to be part of his cast. So that's why I decided to join Mackenzie Falls – to make him happy.

So on Tuesday afternoon, after I got the text and rehearsed a few of my sketches, I went to the Mackenzie Falls' producer's office, and she told me about Kaitlyn's storyline, and gave me a script for next week's episode, which is where I would re-appear and become a regular. According to the storyline, Kaitlyn's Mom and Dad are going to break up, and Kaitlyn is going to move to the town where Mackenzie lives with her Mom. There will be drama (as usual) between Kaitlyn, Mackenzie, Daphne… and maybe, Chloe, that is if Chastity comes back, which she is rumoured to come back some day…

* * *

The week has gone by and it's Thursday now… and I'm tired. We're doing rehearsals, but I'm so exhausted I'd rather just go home and snooze. I've been finding it hard to sleep in the last few days – I've been so busy writing So Random sketches, learning the Mackenzie Falls lines I need for my return on next week's show, thinking about my marriage to Chad… and in the midst of it all, I've forgotten to sleep sometimes. Don't give me that look – I'm a busy girl. Y'know, nowadays.

I'm sat in my chair in the So Random stage, watching Tawni, Nico and Chad rehearse some sketch. My character needs to join the sketch any second now, but I'm so tired, I can't be asked. I slowly feel very weak and drowsy and start to drift into sleep…

"SONNY!"

"Huh?"

I jump up from my seat, trying to gain balance to stand on my own two feet. It kinda fails, and I feel my feet collapse from below me. I brace myself as I fall to the floor, but a pair of arms catches me before I meet the ground, and I sigh in relief. I can't see who they belong to clearly because I'm half passed-out, but I can just about make out a familiar blue shine among all the blur and I feel my lips curl into a smile.

"I'll take her home." I hear a voice say, before I feel the ground taken from my feet and I realise I am hanging upside down, slung over my fiancé's shoulder.

Ha. This is interesting. It feels like a Tarzan moment. And that was a random comment. I think my lack of sleep has driven me crazy. Let's forget that thought, shall we? Chad continues to carry me out of the studio and towards the parking lot, dropping me gently into the passenger's seat.

* * *

"So…" Chad says, nudging me slightly. He's been doing that since we got in the car 10 minutes ago, just trying to keep me awake, "Somebody needs some coffee when we get home, don't they?"

I shrug, "Coffee, a nap…" I can hear my voice – it sounds dozy, like I'm in a dream state. "Anything to recharge my batteries."

Chad snorts, "You sure need it… it looks like you where dressed by a blind person today."

I look down at my clothes, realising that I'm wearing one white sock and one pink, and one Converse and one white trainer. I'm also wearing my top inside-out. Wow… no wonder I was getting crazy looks earlier…

"Well, excuse me if I was too tired to care if I looked good this morning or not. Like I care if I look crap." I say, before realising that it came out more as a snap. Oops. That's what deprivation of sleep does to me – makes me drift into la la land, or makes me sound like a moody bitch. See? I never swear when I'm normal. Well, not really…

Chad notices my sudden angry tone and flinches slightly. "Whoa…" He stammers, "What's got you so down, Miss Mood-Swing?"

"I know." I say, folding my arms stubbornly, "Sorry about that. I'm just… a little pissed."

He gasps jokingly, "I don't like Mood-Swing Sonny… she scares me. The Sonny I love never swears."

What did I tell you?

"I know…" I say, slumping back in the chair, "Maybe I'll just shut up."

"Na, don't do that!" Chad complains, "I love hearing your voice."

I ignore his cheesy reply and decide not to answer back in any way in case my retort hints any snappiness, and just rest my head on the chair behind me. I slowly find myself drifting into sleep. This time though, Chad doesn't poke me to wake me up, and I take a nice power nap…

Chad's POV

After the clothing incident and Sonny's seemingly bad mood, I decide that maybe she does need sleep and maybe I should stop trying to keep her awake, and so almost instantaneously she falls asleep. I look over at her, chuckling. Nothing beats watching Sonny sleep, apart from watching Sonny when she's awake. Okay, so that sounded a little perverse, but I'm her fiancé. I'm aloud to say weird stuff like that, or at least think it. Deal with it.

We arrive at her house, and I get out of the car, before walking around to her side to open the door for her. I smirk when I notice she's still asleep, but I don't want to disturb her. This may sound a little mean considering she's my fiancée and she probably didn't mean to be moody, but I don't want to disturb her in case she screams at me for ruining her "needed" beauty-sleep. Hey, I've never seen a girl throw a mood swing, but apparently they're scary. So I pick her up and sling her over my shoulder like I did earlier and carry her straight into the house.

Maybe I should've woken Sonny up. I know if I did that, I was risking a possible mood-swing. But no matter how scary these PMS things are, they can't be any worse than the slightly disapproving glare of Connie Munroe.

The moment I step through the door with Sonny hung over my shoulder, her Mom gasps and gives me 'the look'.

"What have you done to her?" She yells, eying me, and I politely nod and head into the living room, her following behind. I hear her mumble "Strange boy" and hold in a laugh. Well, I suppose if your daughter's fiancé walked in to your house with your daughter passed out and flung over his shoulder, with no explanation, you've got to be at least a little suspicious.

I sit Sonny down on the couch in the living room, before sitting next to her, gripping one of her hands and putting my other arm behind her back. Ms Munroe watches me for a few minutes, before giving up, sighing and walking out into the kitchen. So, I reach for the TV remote and flick over to watch some So Random repeat (Well, it's my only source of watching Sonny unless I just sit and stare at her, and I don't plan on looking stalker-ish).

A few minutes later, she wakes up, blinking a little, and I bite back a laugh at her confusion just in case she's in a bite-my-head-off mood (no, that's mean. Forget I said that).

"Morning, sleepyhead." I say, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah…" She mumbles in that just-woken-up, totally calm way, and I mentally cheer. No angry wifey for Chaddy. "Wh-where are we?"

"Home." I say, before adding with a smirk, "Don't you recognise your own home?" Okay, so I'm possibly risking getting my head bitten off by talking like that, but sometimes I can't resist going back to the sarcastic jerk I once was. He's funny, and helps when it comes to protecting myself and others (cough, Sonny, cough) from the likes of annoying paparazzi with annoying questions.

"Oh yeah…" She says, sounding slightly brain-dead, "Home."

"That's what I said. Geez, have you lost a few brain cells in your little nap? We can't have that! The awesomeness of the So Random sketches depends on brain power! And we can't rely on any of the other Randoms for that…"

"Haha, very funny," Sonny moans, rubbing the back of her neck, before suddenly jarring forward and getting up, heading to the door. "So Random! I need to get back to rehearsal…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I say, blocking the door. Something's wrong with Sonny – considering the way she's acting – and I'm not gonna let her leave until I've figured out what it is. I know – protective. But in an awesome way, right? "You're not going anywhere until I get you fixed up!"

"What?" Sonny says, tilting her head in confusion, and I sigh, exasperated.

"You're acting kinda weird, Sonshine, with the sleepiness and the mood-swing and stuff…"

"What do you mean… mood swing?" Sonny asks, her lower lips sticking out a little and her eyebrows rising slightly (which equates to an adorable Sonny-pout), and I sigh, shaking my head. It's always hard to argue with that pout.

"Just go and have a seat, Sonny, and I'll take care of you."

"But they need me at So Random…"

"No. They don't." I say, "I can't promise they'll _do well_ without you, but they can live."

Sonny rolls my eyes as I lead her back into the living room. I sit her down on the sofa before heading into the kitchen to get her some water. I walk back into the living room, handing her the water, and she smiles, taking a big sip before collapsing into my arms. I put and arm around her back, stroking her hair soothingly, but she pulls away from my grip, sighing.

"What's making my Sonny not-so sunny then?" I ask, and she rolls her eyes. She then folds her arms and leans back in the couch stubbornly, and I realise that trying to find out the truth wasn't going to be as easy as I'd hoped. It's obvious she's not going to co-operate – maybe this is part of the mood swing? Cue shudder.

"Did someone annoy you? Is that why you're so mad?" She shakes her head, and I mock a frown, "Shame. I was looking forward to beating up whatever loser upset m'lady."

Sonny chuckles a little, before remembering she's giving me the silent treatment and regaining her angry posture. I sigh – this is gonna be a long conversation.

"You sure no-one annoyed you?" I taunt. She shrugs, and I frown. "Who was it?" She then looks at me with a 'damn, you're stupid' look and I gasp slightly. "Did _I_ annoy you in some way?" No response. "What did I do?" I ask, my voice cracking a little coz I don't like upsetting Sonny. "Look, Sonshine, whatever I did, I'm really sorry, but you need to tell me what it was…"

"Chill, _Cooper_." She mumbles, and I wince. She hasn't called me 'Cooper' in years. It doesn't sound right. "You haven't done anything to annoy me apart from flood me with these irritating questions. And no-one else is annoying me either, so you don't need to beat anyone up. Just, leave me in peace_, please_."

I huff. "As much as I love to do as you say, sweetie, I can't. Not until you tell me what's up."

"Up is there." She says, pointing to the ceiling, and I force a sarcastic laugh.

"Funny, Munroe." I say, "Seriously, what is it that's got you moody?" She crosses her arms tenaciously, before she yawns like a flipping hippo, and I notice dark panda-like bags under her eyes. Of course! She was really tired earlier, she's being a little moody, and she has bags under her eyes…

"Is my little Sonny not getting her forty winks?" I ask childishly, and she tenses, leading me to take that as a yes. "Right." I say, "So you're not sleeping. Why's that? Something on your mind?"

"Lots." She murmurs, and a small smile forms on my lips. Finally, a little co-operation.

"Like what?" I ask.

"I just…" She mutters, before tears well up in her eyes. I wrap an arm around her comfortingly and hum quietly into her ear before she carries on, "I feel so busy nowadays. There's so much going on – So Random, Mack Falls… and I've been thinking about all that. And on top of that we're engaged!" She rests her head in her hands, "It's just so much to handle. I mean, I'm so busy, and I haven't even told anyone about the engagement… and it's already so confusing…"

"Hey, hey…" I say, hugging her softly, "It's okay. You really are being pushed to the limits now. I should never have pressured you to be a regular on Mack Falls, or you'd be fine…"

"No, it's okay." She says, "You didn't pressure me – it was my decision."

"Yeah, but I begged you to do it." I say, "Maybe you should quit."

"No!" She yells instantaneously. Wow. You've gotta admire her determination to stick with it, even when she has minimum energy.

"Calm down, honey." I say, stroking her hair again, and she sighs contently and falls onto my chest, breathing softly. "Just… have a little sleep. Don't worry about So Random – they'll manage without you. You need your rest."

Hey, you don't have to tell her twice. About two minutes later, I hear something that sounds faintly like a snore, and I look down to see Sonny fast asleep on my Chabs. I try not to laugh, before attempting to remove her from my chest without waking her up. This proves to be a difficult task – when I lift her head a little to place it on something else, she shuffles around a little and I realise I'm waking her up, so after a few failed attempts, I just give up and let her lay there.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ms Munroe comes back into the living room with a coffee. She scans me and Sonny quizzically (she obviously doesn't know I'm watching her do so) before she finally starts to question me.

"So what's going on?" She asks, "Why did you carry my daughter into the house? Why didn't you let her leave earlier? Why is she now sleeping on you?"

I chuckle a little. The way she puts it, it does sound a little weird. And funny.

"I carried her because she was asleep, I didn't let her leave because of the tiredness and she seemed a little on the edge, and she sleeping on me now because she's tired, so…" I drop my voice level a little, "Shush…"

She sniggers a little. "Good plan." She says, dropping her voice level, "So, are either of you going back to rehearsals later."

"Probably not." I say, "Sonny's got a lot on her mind – that's why she's so tired. She basically hasn't been sleeping much. So I thought maybe she should have a quiet afternoon to catch up a bit on sleep."

Connie tuts sympathetically. "I knew something was wrong." She says, "She seemed a little different the last few days. She just seemed a little…"

"Moody?" I question, before regretting it when she shoots me a menacing glare. Oops. "But… in a very adorable way…"

"It's okay, Chad." She smirks, "I know you didn't mean it." I inwardly sigh in relief as Connie looks to her daughter. "You're always so caring to her."

"I know." I say, "It's coz I care about her. A lot."

"I know." She replies with a smile. "And I know I wasn't totally wild about you guys getting engaged…"

I snort silently. Ain't that the truth – I'm sure of all the people there, she was the least happy about the idea. About as unhappy as the Randoms would've been two years ago – complete with Tawni's dramatic storm out of the room. I don't say this out loud.

"…But really I'm proud that she's found someone who really will care for her. I know she's happy with you, Chad, and if she's happy, I'm happy."

I smile. "Thanks, Ms Munroe."

"In fact…" She says, leaning forward a little and dropping her voice completely. "This may sound crazy, but I think you should move in with us."

I have to do a retake to make sure I heard that right. "Sorry, what was that?" I whisper, and she laughs silently.

"I know it sound a little crazy, especially coming from me… but I know how good she is around her. You calm her down – you make her happy."

"Sonny's always happy." I say, "That's one of the reasons I love her."

"Yeah, but with you, she's especially happy." She says, "And… she's getting older now. I just think that now there are just some things her fiancé will be able to solve easier than her mother."

"I understand." I say. Wow. Ms Munroe's cool with me moving in already? She really is happy for us! Unless this is some trap and when I've moved in she'll send ninjas to my room to kidnap me… na. I'm being childish.

"But you won't share a room with her." She adds sternly. This is the wrong time for a joke, right? Right. So what exactly makes me say what I say next?

"Darn!" I say jokingly, whacking my knee and groaning. Connie doesn't get it as a joke though, it seems, and stares at me strictly. I suddenly feel very awkward. "I didn't mean it like that…" I defend myself before she rethinks the whole thing, "I wouldn't want to destroy Sonny's innocence."

"Mmm, what I thought." Connie says, a sly smirk on her lips, and I sigh and collapse back into the couch, relaxing a little. "So, would you like to move in?" Connie asks, and I pause to think about. Heck yeah I would! In fact, the only thing that's making this hard is the fact that I'd have to bring Abby and Josh with me. Abby won't be much of a problem, but Josh…

"Is it okay if I bring my brother and sister too?" I ask, and Connie smiles.

"Sure."

"I'm in!"

Wow… I hope that didn't sound too desperate…

Connie doesn't seem too fazed by my tone – she gets up and takes her now-finished coffee mug into the kitchen. She asks me if I want anything and I say no, before remembering that the Randoms are still not up to date on what's going on. I pull my phone out of my jeans pocket and send a text to Tawni.

_**Sonny isn't feeling too great so we won't be back for rehearsals.**_

I wait a few minutes, tapping my phone on my knee, before a reply comes.

_What? What's wrong with her?_

_**She's just really tired. She's asleep on me right now… I don't think she's be awake enough to be funny in rehearsals :/**_

_Ok. Wait… she's asleep on you? *smirk* I thought you didn't want to ruin her innocence. Well, no wonder she's tired… ;)_

I pull a face when I read her reply.

_**EWW! NONONO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL! **_

_Okay, okay, no need to overreact! :P So, see you two tomoz?_

_**Yeah, sure. Bye. **_

_Buh-bye! ;)_

I put my phone back into my pocket, shaking my head at Tawni's ridiculous theory. She honestly thought I'd… no. Just no. Sonny and I may be engaged, but I'm still not taking her innocence until the night we're officially married, maybe even later.

I then hear a snore from next to me, and chuckle at Sonny, who snuggles up closer to my chest and smiles. I wrap my arm around her back once again, and flip over the channel to watch So Random.

* * *

About 3 hours later, when I've watched many episodes of So Random (I only watched the sketches Sonny's in, and just blanked out on the others. Yup. I'm cool – and crazy – like that), Sonny starts to shuffle around in my arms, before opening her yes, squinting at the light. I grin.

"Mornin' Sonshine. The Earth says hello."

Sonny sits up a little, rubbing her eyes. "Morning…"

I smirk, "You realise it's two in the afternoon, right?"

Sonny freezes, looking to the clock, before looking back at me with wide eyes. "What. The. Heck? What are we doing here when we should've been rehearsing at So Random 3 hours ago?"

"Whoa, whoa, girly," I say, pulling her back into my grip, "Don't you remember? You've been spending way too much time thinking about work. It's relaxing time, okay?"

Sonny raises her eyebrows at me, blinking a little. "What exactly does this 'relaxing time' involve?"

I chuckle, leaning towards her so that my face is millimetres from hers. "You. Me. Relax. Away from work. For the rest of the day. No work, no exceptions. Got it?"

Sonny groans a little, "I guess."

"Good." I smile triumphantly.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

I then jump up from the sofa, running straight to the stairs to get to Sonny's room, and she follows, screaming behind me.

"Chad!" She yells, "Slow down! If you break anything, my Mom will…"

"Calm down, Sonshine!" I shout back, smiling, "I'm Chad Dylan Cooper – I'm not clumsy enough to break anything…"

It's that moment when I have to be wrong, isn't it? In the mists of yelling back to Sonny, I'm not looking where I'm going, so I run into a wall. On the wall is a picture of something, which tumbles to the ground. The frame smashes and glass spreads everywhere, and I wince.

Oops.

Pain suddenly floods my face and I groan before rubbing my nose (which took the hit from my running into the wall), and when I pull it away, I realise it's bleeding.

Crap.

Sonny comes up behind me, laughing a little, but when she notices my nose, she winces. "I tried to warn you…" She sings, before reaching for my nose. I push her away softly, grimacing in pain. Sonny pouts sympathetically. "Here… lemme take care of this… just pinch the soft part of your nose and breathe through your mouth."

Well, if Sonny ever backed out of show-business, maybe she'd be a good nurse. She runs into the kitchen, and comes out with a load of kitchen roll. She sits me down on the couch, instructing me to breathe and not tilt my head back, and I laugh proudly.

"Wow, Sonny, you sure know your stuff about this kind of thing."

Sonny shrugs, pride radiating off her, "Well, my Mom was a first-aider in the primary school back in Wisconsin." I nod, smiling a little, before leaning back into the sofa. Sonny groans, "No, no! Don't tilt your head back! That makes it worse!"

I roll my eyes slightly, "You got it, Nurse Sonny." I regret opening my mouth at that moment, as thanks to the pinching of my nose it sounds really weird, and Sonny bursts out laughing.

"Okay, Daffy Duck."

I shoot her a joke glare and she returns it with a joke cower, before we both explode with laughter.

Haha. We're such goofs.

* * *

About half an hour later, we're both hauled up in Sonny's bedroom. My nose has stopped bleeding now – when Ms Munroe saw Sonny and me sat on the sofa with a pool a blood and a broken photo frame, she immediately overreacted – checking I hadn't broken my nose, cleaning up the mess while assuring us that we should be more careful, telling me that I'd better be more cautious when I moved in. Of course, Sonny didn't know about the moving-in, so she was pretty alarmed.

"Moving in?" She repeated, shocked, "What?"

Connie shrugged, "I said Chad could move in with his siblings so he's closer to you."

Sonny just smiled at this, and said no more, so I took this as an acceptance to my moving in. Later on, she told me she was excited for when it happened. Me too, Sonshine. Me too.

So after that, we went up to Sonny's room. I'm sprawled on her bed, flicking through the So Random script for tomorrow and she's sat on her purple beanbag with her guitar, strumming quietly. We spring up random conversation every now and again, but right now, we're just glad to be in each other's company – no work, no trouble, for a whole afternoon.

"So…" Sonny says after a couple of minutes of silence, "I've been thinking about the proposal thing… and I was just wondering when we were going to admit it to everyone."

I shrug a little. "Dunno. I mean, the paparazzi will go crazy about it, so maybe we should wait a little…"

Sonny pouts in a joking way (at least, I think that she's joking), and says, "You're not embarrassed by me, right Chaddy?"

I roll my eyes a little as she sticks out her lower lip. "Not at all, my dear…" I say, "I'm just afraid of being hounded by the paparazzi after we admit that their suspicions were true. You remember when Josh and Zora stopped Ryan, Gilroy and Santiago from selling that story on us when they thought we were 'engaged'?"

"Oh, yeah…" Sonny says, "Good point. Still, I want to be able to tell some people, like my cast mates and friends and stuff. The only people who really know are us and the people who were at the dinner on Monday."

"I suppose…" I say. After all, knowing Sonny, I know she'd want to tell everyone about this. I'd rather keep it secret for a few days, just so we can be excited about it together. But then, whatever m'lady wants, m'lady gets.

"How about…" Sonny says with a smile, "We announce it on So Random?"

I blink a little, "T-tomorrow?"

"Sure!" She says, "It'll be fun!"

"It'll be kinda showy." I shrug, "I don't wanna just announce it to the world. It'll be scary."

"Oh…" Sonny frowns, and I suddenly hate myself for making her frown. Maybe I'll go run into another wall to teach myself a lesson. But then… I don't want to risk another nose bleed. When I'd finished bleeding, I went to the bathroom to clean up. I looked like something from a horror film. Not cool. Plus, if I did it again, I'd risk possibly hurting my face. I was lucky to come out of that with _just_ a nose bleed – I was worried I had a black eye or something…

Anyway, back to sad Sonny. "I totally understand…" She says, but she sounds like she's lying. I don't say much after that. I just think about her proposition. Sonny's really brave enough to announce our engagement on a show that's watched all over the world? Well… if she can do it, I can do it. I mean, I'm not afraid to show it off. I'd be proud to show the world that I am in love with Sonny, so much so that I've already proposed.

"Let's do it." I say softly, and she looks up at me and grins.

"This is gonna be awesome."

Surprisingly, I agree with her on this.

* * *

**Yay! :) You reached the bottom! Hope you enjoyed it. **

**You know what's left to do now? Review!**

**~Amy x**


	48. An Announcement and Facing The Crowd

**Hey there, y'all! I know it's such a super-quick update! I got writing straight after I posted the last one, and well, here it is! :D**

**I don't have much to say, except I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Ooh, and that I don't own Sonny with A Chance!**

* * *

**Chapter 48 - An Announcement and Facing The Crowd**

Sonny's POV

Thursday afternoon went super quick… and it wasn't long before Chad was on his way back home. He told my Mom that he'd be round on Saturday morning, to drop things off for when he, Abby, and Josh move in with us (Hooray!) before he kissed me and left.

"Sleep." He reminded me, "You need it for tomorrow. I want you to stay away from all your scripts and everything – just sleep."

"Yes, Sir." I mumbled sarcastically, which made him smirk, before he left.

I slept that night; pretty well in fact. Apart from at 2am, when my phone got a text. I rolled my eyes when I realised Chad was the sender.

_**Are you asleep?**_

_I was, stupid. Not anymore._

_**Oh. Right. Sorry. Night-night, Sonshine.**_

_G'night. xxx_

* * *

I wake up Friday morning, getting excited about tonight's So Random show. Chad and I are going to announce our engagement… I'm so excited! And a little nervous…

Rehearsals go by in a blur, and so does the rest of the day. Even the show goes quick. Chad is amazing, as I knew he would be.

And now here comes the scary part – the signing-off of the show.

Also known as… mine and Chad's public announcement to the world that we are engaged.

I'm in my dressing room right now, doing a quick costume-change from my Sicky Vicky outfit to my most presentable dress that I have here. Well, if this story is gonna be all over the tabloids by tomorrow morning, I wanna look descent, right?

Tawni is touching up her make-up in the mirror on my side of the room, using my mirror because hers is being replaced. The room is silent, unlike usual. Usually we're both giggling and talking quietly to each other about the night's show. But now… nothing.

"You're awfully quiet today." Tawni says, obviously sensing the tension, "Got something on your mind?"

"You could say that." I shrug, slipping into black opaque tights.

"Wanna get it off your chest?" She asks, and I shake my head, even though she can't see me past the curtains.

"I will have already, soon enough."

I can hear the confusion in her sigh after that, and see her silhouette just shrug and walk back to her side of the room. I laugh silently, picking my black, sequinned dress off the rack and pink cardigan. I find one of the necklaces Chad has bought me during our relationship (a sparkly silver one with an 'S' inside a heart as the pendant), before spraying on a little more perfume. I then hide my engagement ring in the pocket of my cardigan, because I don't want anyone to know of it before the announcement. I un-draw the curtains, flashing Tawni a grin, and she laughs at my little display, before heading for the stage door. Reluctant (because of my nerves), I follow.

I stand behind the curtains, shaking in my 2-inch heels. I feel a warm pair of arms wrap around me and I calm down a little, smiling.

"Ready for this, babe?" My fiancé whispers into my ear, and I sigh.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Chad."

"Then let's do it."

Then, just like that was the cue, the curtain lifts. I am blinded by cameras flashing, almost deaf at the hundred-or-so fans screaming, and I remember that the press are here too. We sent an "anonymous call" to all news stands that we could, telling them a big announcement would be made on the show. Everyone's buzzing, waiting for this "announcement" that not even Marshall knows about.

The rest of the cast aren't on the stage – only me and Chad. Which makes it twice as scary. In fact, I think the only thing that hasn't made me faint in shock already is that Chad is stood right there with me.

I feel my nerves suddenly build up, rattling inside me, jiggling up my insides and making me anxious. I then feel Chad grab my hand, and I feel slightly better. I step forward a little, Chad just a few inches behind me.

"Hello, everyone." My voice comes out quiet, shy, but someone from the front row hands me a microphone and I smile, repeating my greeting. "I know you were promised some big news on today's show, and well, the time for that has come."

Chad steps a little forward, with his own microphone. He grabs my hand, for comfort, and I can tell by the energy that he's nervous. He doesn't let it show while he speaks, though, which is impressive.

"So… you all know that Sonny and I have been going out for some time now." Chad says, his voice cracking a little, probably from nerves. But he keeps his posture – strong, tall, and somewhat brave. He tightens his grip on my hand, before eying me a little, hinting for me to give him the ring, and I do so. He then holds it up a little, and it sparkles against the lights and camera flashes.

"And, as you can probably see… we've decided it's time to… you know… go a little further in our relationship…"

The air is silent, eager, apart from a few hardcore Channy fans who are screaming, whooting, saying thing like "Go Channy! Channy forever!" and I find it hard to not smile at it.

"Which is why…" Chad says, a small grin appearing on his face, "…earlier this week, I asked this beautiful, talented, sweet, kind, amazing girl to marry me."

At this moment, the room goes wild. Fans scream, cameras click, and I feel sick with all the excitement and have a headache from all the screaming, the bright lights. I can see my cast-mates in the corner of the room, who are all gaping in shock, surprise. I start to pray that this isn't a bad thing for them. Out of the blue, someone yells, "What did she say?"

I grin, turning to face Chad, his bright, blue, sparkling eyes, before simply whispering into my mic, "Yes."

The screams are louder now – almost like a party has suddenly erupted into the room. Cameras are clicking more than ever, and I'm pretty sure, for a moment, all I can see is the bright light from the camera. That, and Chad's sparkling blue eyes, gazing straight at me.

"What are you waiting for?" A voice yells from the audience, and I recognise it as a certain cast-member's **(Which cast member, you choose. It doesn't really matter)**. Then, four simultaneous voices yell "Kiss!". They chant, and chant, until the whole room is up on their feet, cheering, chanting. I turn to Chad, my cheeks red with slight embarrassment, my eyes teary with joy, and, without warning, a kiss comes straight from his lips to mine. I kiss back, holding him tightly, causing in the chant to die out and screams to flood the room. The end-music, Nico's rap, sings us out **(from the real So Random show)**, Chad and I just pulling away from our kiss to be squashed by hugs from left, right, and center. I laugh – my cast.

"Congratulations!" Tawni squeals, as the lights fade. All the scariness has gone now, and I'm laughing. Chad pulls me out of the hug, grinning at me and twirling me around, before we hug each other.

"Chad! Sonny!"

We turn around to see the blinding flashes of paparazzi cameras, as they load us with questions. I wrap my arms around Chad as we answer the questions. Surprisingly, they're not too personal, or too embarrassing… they're just respecting us. And I'm glad of that.

* * *

A few hours later, Chad and I have escaped the paparazzi and are now on the way home in his car, laughing like idiots.

"That was awesome!" I beam, "I'm so glad things didn't get too crazy!"

"Yup," Chad says, "And I'm glad no-one asked any stupid questions, like are we doing this because you're pregnant or something. You know – stupid paparazzi questions."

"I know." I say, nodding a little. "Soo… what next?"

Chad shrugs, "I'll take you home, and we go about our business as usual, like nothing big happened."

"Got it." I say, "Oh, and by the way… I forgot to tell you how awesome you were tonight. Not just with the announcing and stuff, but with the sketches before that. You were so funny."

"Thanks," Chad smiles, "And need I tell you that you were hilarious, as usual?"

I laugh a little, thanking him as we pull up outside my house – soon to be _our _house. Well, our house, shared with Mom, Abby and Josh, that is. But there's something different about it…

"Oh, boy…" Chad says, looking at the scene outside the window, before turning to me with a joke cringe. "You'd better be ready for _a lot _of attention, m'lady."

I look out the window to where he's looking, and when I see the sight of, like, a hundred paparazzi outside my house, my mouth drops open.

"Oh my…" I stutter, "Wish me luck…"

Chad kisses me goodnight, and I get out of the car, walking up the driveway to my house. On the way, people start to notice me. Cameras are flashed, questions are asked, and because of all the craziness, I have no idea what's going on. I then feel a hand grab mine, and turn back to see Chad, smiling at me, before he looks to each paparazzi and pushes his way through the crowd.

"Move it, people!" He yells, "Beautiful girl comin' through…"

I try not to blush as he continues to push through, ignoring the paparazzi and their questions like they don't exist, before taking the key from my hand and opening the door.

"So, goodnight, once again." He says with a smile, before shutting the door behind me and turning to face the paparazzi, having to make his way back to his car. I watch him from the window near the door and sigh. This may sound totally cliché… but that guy is my hero…

Chad's POV

I should've known it was gonna be crazy in one way or another. I mean, I've lived in Hollywood all this time – way longer than Sonny – and I should know that with any big news story, you're always gonna get a lot of attention. On my first week after the first screening of Mackenzie Falls, it was crazy. There was, like, a camp of paparazzi outside my house, wanting to get the scoop on America's latest hot tween star. No joke.

And that is also why paparazzi are camping outside Sonny's house – they want scoop on America's in couple's reasoning for getting engaged. Things like this are always happening in Hollywood – I've been through many of them myself… and now, it looks like I'm going through another. Only this time, I'm going through it with Sonny.

I watch her get about half way down the driveway to her house, before she pauses. I watch her, concerned, as the cameras flash and questions are asked. I can't hear whatb the paparazzi are saying, but it sure seems crazy, if it's made Sonny stop in her tracks.

_This is ridiculous… _I think to myself, as I get out of my car and push my way through to Sonny, who is in the center of the crowd. I grab her hand comfortingly, and when she notices me, she smiles, before I push my way through the crowd, ignoring all their questions, keeping my head down. I know this may not be a good idea for later, but at least now I'm helping my Sonny get away from these ridiculous people.

I wish her a good night as we get to the door, before turning back to face the paparazzi once more. I push my way through the crowd, trying to ignore the questions. I can hear some of them though…

"What made you propose?"

"When's the wedding?"

"Are you worried you're too young to be getting married?"

"Did each of your parents know about this?"

"When are you going to start living together?"

"Is it because she's pregnant?"

Ugh. I knew that last one would come. I feel like hitting the man who asked that one, but I know it's not a good idea. Tomorrow's headline if I did: "Chad Dylan Cooper – Overprotective Father-To-Be Attacks the Innocent", or something like that. Not a good idea.

"Let's just get this straight." I say, turning back to face the dozens of people as I reach my car. "I proposed to her because I love her, and that's that. We don't know when the wedding is, and we don't care right now, because Sonny and I are just happy to be together. And for your information – we're not too young. You are never too young if you're in love with the person. The only reason that we're getting engaged so quickly – it's not that she's pregnant, it's not that we're desperate… it's that we are in love, and nothing's gonna change that. So, now that that's cleared up, can you please leave Sonny alone?"

With that, I get in my car, closing the door and leaving before any of them gather that courage to ask more questions or follow me.

* * *

Later on that night, I lie in my bed, thinking about what I did earlier, and what I said. Was it right of me to do that? Just spill out everything to a bunch of annoying paparazzi? Maybe. All that worries me is that they didn't follow my request of leaving Sonny alone after I asked them to.

I lay there for a few minutes, thinking about this, listening to the faint sounds of the paparazzi on my lawn (yes, they're out there too), before grabbing my phone and dialling Sonny's number. A few seconds later, she answers.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sonny."

I can almost hear the relief in her tone. "Hey, Chad."

"Are you okay?" I ask, and she chuckles.

"Well, I'm hauled up in my bedroom, trying to sleep, listening to some random people I don't even know talk outside my house." She sighs, "Gosh, I'm all for talking to the press, but this is too much!"

"I know how you feel." I sigh, "They're outside my house as well."

"Aw…" Sonny moans, "Maybe you were right – maybe we shouldn't have announced this…"

"No, I wasn't right." I assure her, "Sonny, I explained to the press that we're in love, and that that is the only reason we're getting engaged so quick. If they don't understand that, they'll never understand our relationship."

"I suppose…" Sonny sighs. "Anyway, Tawni sent me a text a few minutes ago, asking for us to go to the Prop House tomorrow at 3pm. Do you know why?"

"No idea." I say, my eyebrow rising a little, "I hadn't even heard about it."

"Huh." Sonny huffs, "Weird."

At that moment, my other phone, on the bedside table, starts ringing, and I pick it up. I cringe a little at the caller I.D. – Dad.

"Hold up, Sonny," I say, "I have another call…"

I put both of my phones on loud-speak, just so Sonny can hear the conversation. My guess is Dad is gonna talk about us getting engaged, and I wanna laugh about it with Sonny afterwards. I know… that just sounds nuts.

"Hello?" I say into the Dad-phone.

"Chad?" His voice comes through the receiver.

"Yup, it's me." I say.

"You… proposed?" He asks, "And she said yes?"

"Yup." I repeat with a laugh. I then hear Sonny snigger on the other end, before saying;

"Hey there, Mr Cooper!"

"Hi, Sonny!" He replies, apparently hearing Sonny's greeting. "What are you two doing together right now?"

I picture the image my Dad must be picturing and realise it might be the same as Tawni's yesterday when I texted her. Ew, no. Just… no.

"She's on the phone, Dad!" I yell, disgusted, and both of the lines explode laughing. I can hear Melanie laugh with Dad, and smile a little.

"Hey, Melanie!" Sonny squeals between fits of laughter.

"Hi there, sweetie!" Melanie says, "Is Chad being good to you? Remember, if he's a bad husband, we'll whip him into shape."

I roll my eyes, "You people are just sick. Anyways, uh, Dad, I need to tell you something."

"Which is…?" He asks.

"Well… Sonny's Mom offered for me to move in to their house. I was just wondering if that was okay with you."

"That's fine." Dad says, and I grin.

"Thanks. Now, if you excuse me… I'm gonna talk to m'lady." I then hang up, before picking up the Sonny-phone. "I'm ba-ack!"

No response.

"Sonny?"

Nothing.

"Sonny? Are you okay?" I repeat, starting to get nervous. That is, until I hear a snore on the other end of the phone, and I laugh. "Sweet dreams, Sonshine." I say, hanging up the phone, before going to sleep myself.

Sonny's POV

I wake up Saturday morning, tired, buzzing from last night. I look out the window to see the crowd has died down – just a few lingering paparazzi are still there, along with a couple of girls who don't seem to be part of the press. I smile as I see their holding a banner that says "Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper 4EVA!" along with various drawings of hearts and stars and pictures of me and Chad, and I laugh. Fans. Don't you love 'em?

I spend about 20 minutes getting ready. I don't dress too fancy – just a sweatshirt and jeans. Tawni also said on her text yesterday (about Chad and me going to the Prop House later on) to dress nice, so I'll wait till later before I put on one of my best dresses. Something tells me Tawni is plotting something…

I'm tucking into a bowl of cereal when Chad walks through the front door with a few boxes, Josh behind him, carrying considerably less than his brother.

"Where shall we put them, Ms Munroe?" Chad asks, and Mom directs him to the downstairs spare room, where we're planning to keep all their stuff until they move in for real on Monday. Aw, we're finally gonna be a real family!

Chad hasn't noticed me yet, but when I walk into the spare room with a grin and a wave, he winks at me, putting the boxes down and picking me up, swinging me around.

"Watch it, you two." Mom groans sarcastically, "Before you knock something else over."

Chad blushes at this, and I burst out laughing.

After Chad and Josh have unloaded all the boxes from Chad's car (with mine and Mom's help), it's getting to 1pm.

"We should get going…" Chad says, picking Abby up off of the couch, where she's been watching TV for the last couple of hours while we sorted the boxes, and they all head to the door, me and Mom following.

"I'll see you at the Prop House later then, right?" I say to Chad, just in case he's forgotten, and he nods.

"Sure. Do you want me to come pick you up for then?" He asks, and I laugh.

"Chad, no offence, but you drive me round so much, I've almost forgotten how to drive."

He laughs at this, hugging me softly, before heading for the door. "I'll meet you outside the studio for five to three?"

"Sure." I say. He kisses me softly on the cheek, before grabbing Abby's hand and leading her back to the car, where Josh is already sat, on the phone (probably to Zora… heehee).

* * *

Five to three comes along quick. I get to the studio (luckily, alive – Chad driving me around all the time hasn't made me forget at all) to see Chad already waiting. He looks relieved to see me.

"What's got you all smiley?" I ask him, and he laughs.

"I was worried you'd crash with your lack of experience driving."

"Haha." I roll my eyes, "You're hilarious, Mr Comedian."

He shrugs, "I try. So, to the Prop House?"

He links his arm around mine and winks, and I laugh. "To the Prop House."

"You look beautiful, by the way." Chad says, making me scan myself up and down, "As usual."

I blush a little. I haven't dressed as fancy as you may presume from Chad's words, believe me. it's just some flowery dress that I found, with a purple cardigan, brown belt, and white heels with little sparkles on them. I thought I looked good enough (or at least good enough to pass for 'dressing nice'), and Chad has proved me right. in fact, he's exceeded my expectations. He looks pretty good as well – as usual – just looking simple and smart in navy blue and white. And cute. Don't forget cute. As usual.

We approach the Prop House, and it's pretty silent. The lights are off too, and I start to wonder if I've got the wrong day. Chad flicks on the lights, and I grin when I see the sight.

"Happy engagement, Sonny and Chad!"

The room is filled with a load of people, grinning, clapping, and it isn't long before Chad and I are squished by hugs from, like, everyone. Friends, family, cast-members, crew-members… everyone.

I manage to squeeze my head out of the crowd of people, and look around with a smile. The room looks amazing – like the ultimate party… in the Prop House! A large banner spreads along the center of the room, and it reads "Happy Engagement Party, Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper!" and another in the back of the room that looks quite familiar. It looks like the banner the little fan-girls were holding earlier. I laugh, and start to wonder how it got there. Huh. Maybe the fan-girls are here… that would just be awesome.

Everyone pulls away from the hug, and some walk away, apart from about 10-20 of the party. They are my cast members, Chad's cast members, my friends from Wisconsin, Josh, Abby, Chris, Melanie, and Mom.

"I can't believe this is finally happening!" Lucy says, taking me into a hug, along with Tawni.

"Me neither!" Tawni giggles, "Can I be a bridesmaid? That would be so cool!"

I laugh, "Sure! I have a lot of people who I wanna make bridesmaids."

"But that's a long way away." Chad says, "We haven't even decided the date for the wedding yet."

Tawni pouts, "Shame… can't wait for it, anyways!"

"What did we tell you?" Skyler says, and we both turn to see him smirking, along with the rest of the cast. Not in a mean way though, in a nice "told you so" way… if that makes sense.

Chad chuckles, "You told me it didn't matter whether we were too young – as long as we loved each other, we could get engaged and then get married later."

"Exactly." Alice winks, before turning to me, "Y'know, we convinced him to propose to you, Sonny. He was too _scared_."

Chad glares at her as she jokingly pouts, and I stifle a laugh, before dragging Chad over to talk to some of my Wisconsin friends who we haven't seen since Melanie's wedding. Since our relationship hit that awful bump…

I don't let it effect me though, because this is mine and Chad's moment - our engagement party. And I love it!

* * *

**:) So... what do ya think? Review please! :D**

**~Amy x**


	49. Lookout Mountain and A New Home

***smiles innocently* Heyy, guys...**

***collapses to knees* I am so so so so sorry for the late update! But you know what? I'm back with an awesome update (well, in my opinion), and it's pretty long too! :D**

**Just to let ya know, last chapter I got a review asking if someone could choose Sonny's wedding dress. Anyone else wanna help with the wedding, for when it comes along? Like, the cake or something? That would be lovely of y'all to help out - it stops me from touring around the internet so I can just get to the writing!**

**Anyways... it's time to get reading, am I right? **

**I don't own SWAC.**

**Onwards :P**

* * *

**Chapter 49 - Lookout Mountain and A New Home**

Sonny's POV

The party is so much fun – my cast were the ones who organised it. And I have to admit, they really did an awesome job! It all goes too quick though, and it comes to an end super fast. Although… not before Tawni clinks her punch glass with a little spoon, yelling out "Speech!" to the room. She turns to me and Chad, along with the rest of the room, and I suddenly feel nervous. Speech? Do I have to? What am I supposed to say?

Chad's got it covered. "Uh… hey, guys." He begins, "Uh, first of all, I'd like to thank you guys so much for coming… I honestly didn't know about this party, and I don't think Sonny did either, so neither of us has prepared anything. I guess I just wanna say thanks to everyone who's been so awesome to me and Sonny during our whole lives, and thanks to whatever force brought her to me."

A universal 'aw' spreads across the room, and I hug Chad, grinning. Everyone then looks at me and I realise it's my turn to speak.

"Uh… hey, guys." I say, "Chad's already said most of it, I guess. But I wanna thank my cast for organising this party… it's so amazing. I'd like to thank all my friends and family for everything they've done for me… and most of all, I'd love to thank Chad, for being there for me, for loving me, and for being possibly the best boyfriend I've ever had. Now I'm just so excited to see what our relationship has in store, but I know, whatever happens, I will never stop loving you."

Before Chad or I can say or do anything else, a squeal comes from the corner of the room, and we turn to see Tawni, Zora, Chastity, Alice, and the two fan girls from this morning, holding up the banner, and we both start laughing.

"GO CHANNY! CHANNY FOREEEVVVEEEERRR!" They yell, causing everyone else to cheer similar things. Chad and I burst out laughing, before our laughing dies down and we turn to each other with loving smiles.

"I love you, in case you didn't get it." I say to him, "More than anything."

"And I love you more than anything." He replies, kissing me lightly on the cheek, and I feel happy until I realise we have an audience. They've all stopped chanting and are now staring directly at us. It's kinda awkward, but Chad's got a plan. He grabs my arm and runs towards the Prop House door, doing a little tuck-and-roll on the way, forcing me to go along with it. We reach the door, everyone watching, before Chad winks and says goodbye with his trademark;

"Peace out, suckahs!"

* * *

We leave the studio, laughing, before we arrive at my car outside in the parking lot. I lean up against it and he stands in front of me, our foreheads and noses touching, our breathing synchronised. Chad kisses me softly on the neck, all the way up until he reaches my lips. He kisses me softly, before he wraps his arms around my waist and deepens the kiss. I copy, wrapping my arms around his neck, before realising what we're doing and shoving him off lightly. Chad tilts his head, confused, and I laugh when I see the lipstick stain around his mouth.

"Sorry sweetie," I say, handing him a tissue, "But that had to stop there. We're in a public place and people could walk past at any time! And it's still pretty light, even for about half eight."

Chad shrugs, "So let's go somewhere where we have more privacy."

"Chad…" I say darkly, "I know what you're thinking… I'm not willing to go that far, even if we are engaged."

Chad frowns, "I wasn't thinking that at all! I was just thinking we could have a romantic picnic on top of Lookout Mountain."

I laugh, "How can we do that when we have no picnic basket?"

"Ah," Chad smirks, walking over to his car and opening up the back, "That's where you're wrong, m'lady."

I burst out laughing when I see him drag the picnic basket out of his car boot, and I smirk, "You sure are well-prepared, Chaddy." I say. He shrugs.

"You can just call me hopelessly romantic. So… hop in the car. Let's get going!"

* * *

We arrive at Lookout Mountain at about nine o'clock. The air has changed in the last 30 minutes – the air is cooler, chilly, and I'm shivering a little until I put on Chad's jacket (which he gave me – don't give me that look. I was desperate and he was willing). The stars have all come out now, sparkling high in the sky, and Chad has laid down a blanket on the slightly damp grass. We're sat together, sipping cans of Dr Pepper. It's one of those stereotypical romantic nights, and it feels perfect.

Ha, I'm such a sucker for romance.

"Sonny," Chad says gently, his eyes glistening with hope in the light of the reflection from the full moon above us. He takes my hands tightly in his and smiles, looking directly into my eyes, "You know what I said in the party, during the speech? About how much I love you…?"

"Yeah…" I say absent-mindedly, flashing back to the moment when he reminded me that he loved me more than anything in the world, after I'd told him the same. It was pretty sweet.

"Well it's true." He says, and I grin.

"I know." I say.

"And I don't wanna be cheesy…" He shrugs, and I laugh.

"No, no!" I say, "Be cheesy! Me like cheesy."

He chuckles, "You little nut."

"Not nut." I say with a crazy grin, "Cheese."

Chad rolls his eyes, "Dr Pepper making you hyper again?"

"You know it!" I smirk, remembering one of our first dates, where I had Dr Pepper and did go… kinda crazy. Let's just say, I wasn't allowed anything with fizz for another 5 months after that, and Chad was always checking I didn't order it when we went to restaurants.

"You remember what happened last time?" He'd say, and I'd just roll my eyes. **(Yep, self experience… I get **_**very**_** hyper on fizzy drinks :/ And I didn't realise how crazy this part was until I re-read it. Huh. Continue.)**

"Anyway…" Chad says, ignoring my intentional immaturity and squeezing my hands comfortingly. "I didn't expand on it coz I knew our little fan girls in the back of the room would've probably _died._"

I snort at the memory of Tawni, Zora, Chastity, Alice, and the two random fans girls who squealed at everything sweet or romantic that me or Chad were saying. It was cute at first, but by the end it was getting kinda old. They, especially Tawni and Chastity, were a little too obsessed with the fact that we were _engaged. _

_Already._

"So…" Chad goes on, "I just wanna say something." He looks at me, azure eyes un-blinking. I gaze into his eyes as he takes a deep breath and I suddenly feel calm, peaceful, secure. It feels like a dream, but it's not. I'm wide awake, and I've never been more happy to be so.

"Well…?" I say, teasingly, "Go ahead."

Chad smirks, letting out a little snigger, before looking back up at me, regaining his posture. His hands are kinda sweaty, but I can't blame him. It's probably the sweat coming off my hands and onto his.

…Okay, odd train of thought.

Moving on.

"Sonny," He repeats sincerely, "You may already know this, but you are the most beautiful, talented, caring, adorable… perfect young woman I've ever had the pleasure to meet."

I suddenly feel my cheeks flush dark red, and I smile shyly despite myself.

"Chad, that's sweet, but I'm not perfect…"

"You are." He insists, "Well, to me. To a lot of people. Your arrival changed Condor Studios forever, and for the better. I mean, just look at Tawni! She actually… cares nowadays! The rivalry between our two shows is pretty much gone… and me? Gosh, if you hadn't showed up and made my life better… I'd have committed suicide a _long _time ago, believe me."

My gut sinks, "Chad, don't say that…"

"But it's true." He mumbles, smiling sadly, "You… you made me better. I was that jerk who hated everyone, the one who thought he was _it_. You changed that. You brought out the good in me, Sonny, and I could _never_ repay you for it. I'm forever grateful to you. _Thank_ you, for being there. For changing me. For making everything better. For… being _you_."

About half-way through Chad's little speech, I feel a tear roll down my cheek, and I wipe it away absent-mindedly. It isn't alone though. After Chad finishes, a whole flood of tears follow the first, and I instinctively collapse into my fiancé's chest, wiping my eyes on his shirt.

"Oh, Sonny, I'm sorry…" He stutters as I pull my head up from his chest, wipe a sleeve across my face and tuck the hair that is damp from tears behind my ear.

"Don't be." I say, my voice cracking, "That was so sweet, Chad. Thank you too."

Chad's eyebrows furrow, "For what?"

"For making my life complete." I sigh, "I had rotten luck when I was younger, with guys. I didn't think I'd find someone as perfect as you."

Chad snorts emotionlessly, "I'm not perfect, that's for sure."

I giggle a little, smiling, before repeating his words; "You are. To me."

Chad smiles, sighs a little in relief, before dragging me into a big bear hug. I accept the hug by returning it, before pulling away and kissing Chad lightly on the cheek. He then kisses me on the nose, before then going on to the mouth. We first kiss gently, then it gets more deep, then really passionate, and when I open my mouth to let in the tongue, I know I may be taking it a little too far. Okay, so Chad and I are engaged, but I'm not one to go that far, even right now – even with the stars shining down on us in the most romantic place in California… I'm a morality nut, my grandparents was a strict Christian, and I wanna wait until Chad and I are married before we go too far. I push Chad off as lightly as possible, matt down my hair, and smile at Chad apologetically.

"Sorry, Chad…" I say, "But I don't wanna go too far before we're married."

Chad shrugs, "That's fine. And I don't wanna ruin your innocence until we're married."

I smile, "Good."

"Good." He teases.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"So are we good?" I ask, and he grins, putting an arm around me.

"We're great." He says, kissing my ear noisily, and I laugh, "In fact… we're perfect."

Chad's POV

Two days go by, and Monday comes quick. Monday – the day that me, Josh, and Abby are moving in with Sonny and her Mom. It's kinda sad leaving this house, coz we've lived in this house for so long. Don't give me that look. So Chad Dylan Cooper gets attached to these sentimental things. Yeah, I'm human, if you haven't yet noticed. It's just that so much has gone on in this house… including the day when my mother was rushed to hospital, and, er, never came back. This is also the house that I met my new mother – well, step-mother. Sure, no-one can replace a mother, but Melanie sure is close.

And this house is also the place where I fell in love with the love of my life all over again. Of course, I'm talking 'bout Sonny. She gave me that second chance that I never deserved, and I'm so grateful that she forgave me. I don't know where I'd be without her – but off the rails is probably the description I'm looking for here.

I don't know where I'd be without Sonny. I love her to freaking _bits_, and I'm proud to call her my fiancée. I sure know I don't deserve her… she's way too perfect for me. I'm so blessed to have her… she is just my rock. My inspiration. The way she walks so easily through life. The way she's changed my life, for the better.

I told her all that, on Saturday night, and she was so understanding. She listened to me and told me that I meant the same to her, and then we kissed. And so she didn't want to go too far – so what? I know what she means – I can wait, and I _want _to wait. I don't want to destroy her innocence, not since all this time I've been protecting her.

"Chaddy?"

I hear a voice wake me from my Sonny-trance, and look down to see Abby, dragging her Lovey Horse that Sonny got her for her birthday behind her. I smile when I see her.

"Hey, big girl." I coo, which makes her giggle. She likes it when I call her a big girl; I've been calling her that ever since her fourth birthday.

"Are you okay?" She asks, tilting her head anxiously.

"Of course I am! What would make you think…"

It's only at this moment when I feel a tear roll down my cheek, and I chuckle. My Sonny-daydream has got me all bubbling up. I wipe the tear away, before shooting a grin at Abby to assure her everything's fine.

"I'm fine, sweetie. I was just thinkin'." I say, picking her up and squeezing her in my arms. She prises herself free from my grip, falling onto the couch, giggling a little. Josh comes down the stairs, a couple of suitcases trailing behind him, and he slumps into the couch, his eyes glued to his phone screen the whole way.

"Lemme guess…" I smirk, "Tweetin' Zora?"

He blinks, before looking at me sceptically. "How did you know that?" He asks, spooked, and I shrug, holding in a laugh.

"Let's just say I know you. You're my predictable lil' bro."

Josh groans, elbowing me, before looking up at my face and smirking a little. "Been thinkin' bout Sonny?"

I gasp at his spot-on guess, and he stifles a laugh.

"I know you." He explains, "You're my predictable big bro who's a little too obsessed with his girlfriend."

"Fiancée." I correct him, and he laughs.

"And there's my proof."

I roll my eyes at him, before hearing a honk of a horn outside. Sonny. I left my car at her house yesterday (I know… stupid), so she's driving us back 'home'. Well, it will be home, soon. I walk up to the door, where outside, Sonny is sat in her red car, smiling at the door. When she sees me, she grins.

"Hey, Chad Chad Chaddy Chad Chad." She coos, singing the last bit in memory of the best song ever (ha, yeah _right_), "Ya comin'?"

"One sec, lemme just get the suitcases!" I reply. I lead Abby to the car, opening the door and putting her in her seat. Josh gets in the other side, leaving his suitcase at the back of the car, which leave me to put everything in.

Yippee.

I open the back of the car, throwing the case into it (and I mean _throwing – _I'm good at being untoward to Josh, in a brotherly-joking way), before trudging back into the house and dragging Abby's and my own suitcases, plus one Josh left behind – so five of them. Luckily, Abby's are smaller, and therefore not as heavy.

I huff as I pull the cases to the car, loading them into it, squashing them all together, before I see one suitcase lift into the car on it own.

Spooky.

Oh, no, wait.

Stood next to me, accompanied by her usual can-do perky attitude, is Miss Sonny Munroe (soon-to-be Cooper), smiling at me in all her cuteness.

"Need a hand?" She chirps, and I laugh.

"That would be awesome, m'lady." I say with my trademark wink, and she giggles in that old stupid-cute way, before helping me place the last few bags in. After that, we drive off. I watch the house as we drive away from it, and sigh.

_So long… I'll always remember the times we had…_

* * *

We arrive at Sonny's house about 20 minutes later, with the Californian sunshine blazing in our eyes. Lucky Sonny brought her sunglasses – purple and yellow, of course. Mine, however, are somewhere packed in a suitcase, so I just have to shield my eyes. It's not too bad though. I've lived in California for as long as I can remember – the blinding sunshine isn't a big deal for me.

I undo Abby's seatbelt, and the moment I get out of her way, she runs towards the house, a little pink tornado, and I laugh. I know what she's spotted – the horses. She's never seen them before, which is partly my fault, coz I wad worried she'd want to ride them and then get hurt. But hey, I can't stop her from seeing them now, can I?

Sonny puts a hand on my shoulder, smiling, and even with the sunglasses I manage to get lost in her eyes.

"Hey," She says, "She'll be fine. I teach her how to ride when she's old enough.

I pull a face of horror, "On one of those beasts? Uh, no thanks!"

Sonny rolls her eyes teasingly, "Then we'll buy her a little pony. Either way, she's gonna want to ride a horse, and I'm not gonna hold her back."

I let out a little moan of defeat, looking from from Sonny's persistent eyes to Josh, who is holding Abby up so she can reach Capriccio's nose, to the Lovey _Horse_ toy dangling from its hoof because of the way Abby's gripping it, and I sigh, raising my hands in a form of giving up.

"Fine," I murmur, and Sonny claps triumphantly, London Tipton-esque.

"Good!" She says, before running over to where Abby stands. I hear her tell her that Chaddy's gonna buy her a little mini version of one of the horses, and Abby grins, before running up to me and hugging my legs, saying;

"Thank you, Chaddy! You're the bestest!" I sigh.

Why were some girls born with such charm?

Especially _my_ two girls.

We then walk into the house, where Connie is stood in the living room, smiling. A banner reading "Welcome, Coopers!" is hanging over our heads. The atmosphere is kind, full of excitement. It feels safe.

It feels like a home already.

Connie walks over and hugs Josh, who pulls away from the hug and pulls out his phone. I try to resist rolling my eyes.

Typical Josh.

Connie then hugs Abby, picking her up and swinging her around, which of what I know is Abby's favourite way of being greeted.

"Auntie Connie!" She squeals, and Connie laughs.

"Hey, sweetie!" She says, "You like the house?" Abby nods. "Well, just wait till Sonny shows you your room!"

Abby gasps, before running up to Sonny and clinging onto her legs tightly. "Show me! Shooooowww meeeee!"

Sonny laughs, "Alrighty, big girl, c'mon…" She grabs my little sister's hand and drags her towards the staircase, and I watch them a little of the way, before turning to Connie. The air between us feels kind of awkward – I don't know whether to hug her or just nod kindly. She breaks the awkwardness, smiling at me, and I break into a grin.

"Auntie Connie!" I say, flinging my arms open and mimicking my little sister, and Connie smirks.

"Please, Chad." She says, "Since you're my future son-in-law, you may as well call me 'Mommy'."

A cloud of dust suddenly forms in my throat, and there's a stinging sensation in the back of my eyes from unshed tears. I blink at the memory that my real mother would want me to move on, by now…

"Mom!" Sonny gasps. She's half-way up the stairs, Abby in tow, but she's turned back to give her mother a stern glare about mentioning who's taking the mothering duties here. Connie gasps, holding a hand to her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Chad!" She apologises, "I didn't mean it in any offensive way, honest…"

"No, no," I say, wiping my eye as if a tear has appeared when really it's still hiding in my eyes, trying not to spill.

It's been so long, I don't want to bubble up about it any more. Sure, losing a parent is a hurt that never goes away, but I've moved on. I cry every now and again about it, in bed, but I've moved on. I'm okay with calling Melanie my step-_mother; _Connie my _mother_-in-law.

I'm fine.

"It's okay," I assure Connie, and she sighs, relieved, before smiling.

"I am really sorry about it…" She continues, and I chuckle, realising where Sonny gets her good manners and over-apologising from.

"It's fine." I say, before smirking, "_Mommy._"

Connie laughs, hugging me softly, before she offers to help carry in the suitcases.

"Oh, no, it's fine, Ms Mun- _Mom. _I can't do it myself…"

"No, I insist," Connie says, before turning to her daughter, who is still frozen on the staircase with Abby, who looks rather confused. "Sonny, you can show the kids to their rooms, right? And then you can show Chad your _shared _room…"

I then feel very hot. Shared room? Wow. Ms Munroe sure has a lot of trust in me.

Or maybe not – she then looks at me sternly, "Shared _room_," She stresses, "Not _bed._"

"Yes, ma'am." I say, feeling a little uncomfortable, but I do understand what she means. But, as Sonny and I discussed Saturday night – not until we're married.

Connie smiles as she can see that I'm not joking with her, and we head out to the car together. Strangely enough, we end up messing about, joking with each other, like I used to do with my mother. I don't say anything I may regret and I stay on Connie's good side. She even reminds me that she's glad to have me as a 'son-in-law', and is proud of me for being so caring to Sonny.

"She never had… luck with the boys in Wisconsin…" She says, regretfully, "Don't tell her I've said this – but they'd cheat on her, dump her for no reason… they'd use her, basically. Never in a, um, _sexual_ way… but you understand what I mean? I'm just glad you treat her right."

I smile, "Well, she deserves it, you know? Without her… I don't know what I'd be, but I'd probably be off the rails. I really do love her for that."

"I know you do." She grins. "And for that, I'm thankful. I know you'll make a perfect husband for her, no matter how young you both are."

I smile at Connie, and I feel that feeling of _belonging_; like the cloud of nerves that was rustled up on the way here has finally settled in my chest, to just leave sunshine and happiness.

Okay, so that's a little cliché, but who cares? It's how I feel.

It's just perfect.

Sonny's POV

After dropping Josh off at his room, which is just like his old one – adorned with computer consoles and things likes that, I drag Abby up to her room (I say _drag, _but considering how excited she is to see the room, she's basically the engine in this operation…) where I swing open the door, and wave my hands out in a show-esque way, grinning.

"Here it is!" I chirp, and Abby's eyes open wide, and she runs straight for the bed, jumping on it, giggling. I watch her for a few minutes, trying to not let the child inside me join her, before caving in and running to join her. I jump on the pink-duvet bed, doing little star-jumps in-between each. Abby and I jump, synchronized for about 10 minutes until my feet collapse before me. I tumble down, dragging Abby down with me, before we both explode in a fit of giggles. My arm aches a little from collapsing, and my legs are, meh, _dead_, but I just spent 10 minutes embracing my inner child.

And it was a heck of a lotta fun!

I then take a moment to relax as Abby notices the mountain of soft toys in the corner of the room, and I spend that moment marvelling at the awesome job me and Chad made of Abby's room.

The walls and doors and painted in 50 different shades of pink, just about, but they look camouflage-y. This is because Chad and I couldn't choose between an all-pink room, or an animal-based room (considering her love for animals), so we settled for a pink jungle! There are about five piles of soft toys that Chad and I found from our old collections, toy shops, etc, including a 5-foot giraffe and a few lion hiding behind the space between the wall and the closet.

All I know is, I wish this had been _my _room as a child. I love it.

I then feel Abby's gaze on me, and I turn to see her with a teasing smile.

"I'll race you on the horsey!" She giggles, running over the larger-than-life horse, and I sit on the giraffe next to it, rearing it up like a horse and 'riding' it.

"Yee-haw!" I yell about a minute into it, before slightly regretting it.

Chad is now stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, a smirk pulling at his face.

"Havin' fun?" He says in a Texan drawl, and I roll my eyes. "I think I'll leave you lil' darlin's to finish your hoedown."

"Very funny, Chaddy." I tease, using the same drawl, and Abby giggles at our accents.

"Wanna join us, Chaddy?" She asks, and Chad shrugs.

"No thanks," He says, "Horses aren't my thing."

"You have your own horse, idiot." I say, before pointing to the window that has a view of the field, "It's stood right out there."

"Oh, yeah… Capriccio…" Chad says stupidly, and I sneer.

"Yeah," I say, mimicking his tone, "Capriccio. So come have a go on Capriccio Jr!"

Chad studies my ride, before snorting. "A giraffe?"

"Yes, a giraffe." I say, "Just do it, you bore! Embrace your inner child for once!"

Chad blinks, dumbfound. "My what?" He asks.

"Just do it."

I get off the giraffe, dragging him to it, and he really gets into it, rearing it back like I've seen him do so heroically on Capriccio.

Right now though – he just looks ridiculous.

I take my phone out and take a sneaky picture while he isn't looking, before saving it as my screensaver.

He may look ridiculous, but he looks cute too. _Ridiculously cute…_

* * *

A few hours go by – we have dinner, watch a little TV and play a game (even Josh!), and at 10pm, I decide to hit the sack. Chad and I have an interview tomorrow lunchtime and we need to get up early to get there for make-up, things like that. (**I'm not going to really write the interview, unless you guys want me to. I'll probably do it as a one-shot if you want me to, but it's not part of my plan. Sorry if I've disappointed anyone there) **I trudge tiredly up to mine and Chad's room (_trudge_ because I've spent so much time 'embracing my inner child', I feel like a storm that's died now, and it isn't a lovely feeling, believe me. I just wanna get into bed, now.

I collapse into my mattress, hugging my pillow, before I watch Chad do the same, and I laugh half-heartedly. Not coz I'm being rude – coz I can't build up the energy. I'm just… so… tired!

"Ya tired, Sonshine?" Chad asks, and I try to roll my eyes. But I'm so worn out, I don't have to energy to do even _that_.

"Well, duh." I say, my voice coming out dream-like. Chad smirks, before rapping on the side of my bed, holding out one of his hands. I take the hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. It's warm, comforting, and puts me half to sleep.

"Your Mom told me something about your life in Wisconsin." He says, "Apparently, guys would use you?"

If I had the oomph, I'd recoil in horror. Instead, I just sigh, "Well, if you think she meant _sexually…_"

"Not at all." He mumbles, "They'd just cheat on you and stuff, right?"

"Yeah…" I sigh, remembering the days where I was dumped by boys like a piece of trash. They're long gone, but the pain hasn't quite gone away.

"Well, believe me, Sonshine, they were idiots." Chad says, and I smile.

"I'm glad they did it though." I say, and his eyebrows crease.

"What do you mean?"

I shrug, "My Mom used to say – if you don't get your heart broken a million times, you'll never find that one special person who makes you happy. Basically… if they hadn't broken up with me, I'd never have been single when I found you." I then add shyly, "…I'd never have fallen in love with you. And if I hadn't fallen for you… life would be crappy."

"And if you hadn't fallen for me…" He adds, "I wouldn't have fallen for you either. And my life wouldn't have turned around like it has. And I wouldn't be telling you right now that I love you."

I shrug, "And I wouldn't be replying that I love you." I wink, and he smiles.

He grins sleepily, "Goodnight, Sonshine."

I feel a smile creep up on my lips, a blush on my cheeks, and as my eyes flutter shut, I reply;

"Goodnight, Chad. I love you."

As I drift into sleep, I hear the reply, "I love you too. Forever."

* * *

**Wow. That was even more cliche when I read it through than when I first wrote it. Meh. But I hope you liked it anyways!**

**So, can you all review, pretty please? I've been so thankful for you guys and your reviews and stuff. It's been awesome, and although I'm sad to say the story will be finishing soon, I'm so glad that you guys have all enjoyed it!**

**But don't worry! It's not over yet - there's still a lot to come :D**

**So... review!**

**Thankies m'dears :P**

**~ Amy x**


	50. One Mistake

***clears throat*...**

**WHOO-HOOOO!**

**Sorry, it's just that MY UNBROKEN CD HAS ARRIVED! I'M SO SO SO SO SO HAPPY! And I love the album ;D**

***Sigh*, Anyways... here it is! An update! I have a feeling Channy lovers will first hate, then love, this episode. You will understand more when you read... ;)**

**So, I feel I should warn you guys - Channy angst scene. Kinda. Well, you'll see...**

**So... I just wanna say, before we start, thank you so much to all of you! The story has hit it's 50th chapter! *parties*... so, I'm hoping for LOTS of reviews. And believe me, there is a very nice occassion to top of the 50th... ;) Okay, I'mma shut up before I say more.**

**Ooh, and one more thing before we get going. I wanna give a big shout-out to k.98'PeaceOutSuckas... you are amazing! a) You have Unhealthy obsessions with my story! b) You've reviewed LOADS and every one of your reviews made me smile, and c) You want to enter my contest, regardless of you having no account. Send it in, please - I'd love to read it! :D**

**Warning - Alcohol to come! **

**Okay, now, Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 50 - One Mistake**

_*4 YEARS LATER…*_

Sonny's POV

I'm alone in a room that I haven't been in since Melanie and Chris's wedding day, listening to the chatter of my mother and some of my closest friends outside. I scan myself in the full-length mirror in front of me. My heart is thumping, so loud I'm sure everyone in the whole of the state can hear it. My clothing is completely different, compared to what I'd normally be wearing; my hair is done up all fancy, with a beautiful white rose in my hair. I look pretty, sure, but I'm terrified.

I'm in Wisconsin, my home state. It's great to be home again – it really is. But it's only for this weekend. Afterwards, Chad and I are leaving the country for a couple of weeks. He hasn't told me where we're going yet, so I'm super excited!

I then hear a knock on the door, and my Mom enters, smiling.

"You ready, sweetie?" She asks, stepping in the small room along with Tawni, Zora, (now 18 years old!), and my Wisconsin friends. Ooh, and Abby. Who, by the way, is now 8 years old. She's grown up so fast!

I try to stay strong, straighten up my back, trying to look brave, confident; ready for what's about to happen. To be honest, that's a hard thing to do when you're almost falling apart with nerves on the inside.

"I… I think I am…" I manage to say, but my voice cracks with anxiety. Mom sighs, hugging me softly, before handing me a bouquet of flowers and grinning at me. She tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, tears in her eyes.

"I am so proud of you." She tells me, "No matter what happened in your past with Chad, no matter what is to come in your future… you are my baby girl. I am so proud of you and everything you've accomplished, and I'm so honoured to have a daughter as brilliant as you. It feels amazing to finally give you away…"

I feel my smile grow into a nervous grin. Understand what's going on? Yes? No? Well, I'll tell you…

Today is the day of mine and Chad's wedding.

I never even expected this day to come, especially so _early. _Despite no longer being teenagers, Chad and I are still only 22. But, after one big, awful mistake, we realised it was time.

That was all it took. One mistake. One life changing mistake – lead to the most amazing day of my life…

Confused? Well, let me explain…

* * *

It was about 9 months ago – my 21st birthday – when Chad and I decided to start drinking a little. Coz, of course, that's when drinking is legal in US. We didn't get _drunk_, which was our aim. We just had fun.

Mackenzie Falls and So Random ended about 18 months after the Coopers moved in with me and Mom. It was sad, sure, but really Chad and I were ready to do other projects. So was everyone else. Chad moved on to do a couple of movies – one drama, one comedy. I must admit, he was pretty darn good in them both. I moved on from comedy to music, and had an album out in the last month of that year. I was so grateful when it hit Platinum about 5 months ago! But more on that later…

As for the rest of So Random… Tawni got into fashion. She made a teen range, called Abby Daze (of course, name inspired by Abby) and the clothes were pretty darn cool.

Nico and Grady stuck together, and started on a comedy talk show together. All ex-Randoms, and Chad, have been on it on one show together, and we all had a blast. Nico once also released a rap track, which was pretty cool. Just like the rap he did for So Random that one time.

Zora stayed on So Random for a while – she was only 15, coming up to 16 when the rest of us quit. On her 17th birthday, she decided to move on to directing. She's done pretty well for herself, just like the rest of us. Maybe better than us, as she's five or six years younger than the rest of us and just about as successful. Certainly richer (bar Chad. Y'know – Mack Falls paid big).

I feel so proud of her, like she's my little sister. In fact, I'm proud of us all.

So, back to the whole Platinum album business – that is what started this whole problem. When it was announced, Chad and I were so excited, and we invited like, a hundred people to celebrate with us. Then, for the first time ever…

We got drunk.

Hugely. I know… we were idiots. But the worse is still to come.

We… almost slept together. Please, don't get angry with me. We were drunk, and we were gonna go too far. I know that now. I did then as well. I almost said yes, but I stuck to my guns in the end and remembered what I'd said. No matter how drunk I was – I wasn't changing my mind.

Chad was more… easily affected by the drink. He pestered me about it all night, and when he didn't get what he wanted, he yelled at me and stormed downstairs, saying words I didn't think someone as sweet and kind as Chad would say…

And then, later on, he came back upstairs, into my room…

And slapped me.

That scared me. I'd always felt so safe with Chad. But at this moment, even in my still slightly-tipsy state, I was terrified.

"So suddenly you don't love me anymore, huh?" He yelled as the tears sprung into my eyes. I tried not to cry though. I just tried to remind myself this wasn't _my _Chad. This was a completely different side to Chad I'd never seen before – a total stranger. And it was all my fault.

_I'd _been the one to first suggest the party.

_I'd _been the one to give him that drink.

_I _was the first to get drunk and then to get him drunk too.

So, it was _my _fault. Chad was aching inside, hurting me when he never would outside this situation, and it was because of _me._

I knew I had to do something.

I led Chad to his room, lying him in his bed. All this time he was screaming at me, telling me not to touch him because I was weak, a liar, a loser (and other words that I'd rather not repeat). Those words didn't bother me too much. They made me a little fazed, sure, but the worse was still to come.

"Don't touch me!" Chad yelled when we got to his bed, "Get off me! I never even loved you, you… you bitch!" **(DON'T BEAT ME UP WITH STICKS AND STONES! That hurt me to write, literally. My eyes hurt reading over it, and my heart aches too :/)**

I felt like he'd driven a knife through my heart. This _was not _my Chad. My Chad wouldn't say that!

That's what I told myself all through the night. This was all my fault… what if Drunk Chad had changed My Chad's mind about me? What if I got up the next day and Chad wasn't there? What if he'd just gone and took his siblings with him, out of my life? I was… scared. I loved him, and I couldn't tolerate living without him, no matter what he'd said to me the night before.

* * *

I got up the next day, a headache so big it felt like a tonne of bricks had landed on me. Huh, my first hang-over. It was hell. But it still wasn't as bad as the ache in my heart – where was Chad? He wasn't in his room. He wasn't anywhere in the house. I asked Mom if she knew where he was and she said she heard him leave the house around four in the morning. I felt a pang in my chest – he'd left me.

I was so upset that I thought I'd never see the love of my life again. I wanted to talk to him, apologise to him… but I didn't know where he was. Abby and Josh were still here… so he'd just gone. I kept telling myself he just needed space, but at 1:00pm, hours since we'd last talked, that was even harder to believe…

And then, I got a text.

_Sonny. Come to Condor Studios, asap. I'm waiting for you._

There was no sender I.D., but I was still confused, and curious. I was also worried that this message was from a robber or a murderer or something. Worse – I thought it was Chad. I was worried he was gonna yell at me, hurt me… the memory of his spiteful words while he was drunk last night had me terrified. The ghost of the slap swept across my face, and I was horrified that he'd do it again. Or… gulp, _worse. _

But still curious, I went to the studio to investigate. The minute I arrived, I got another text.

_Good. You're here. Now, please make your way to Stage 5._

This put me slightly off the idea of Chad. If it was Chad, wouldn't he send me to Stage 2 or 3 – the old homes of Mackenzie Falls (which was now used for a new drama) and So Random (still home for So Random, but changed a lot). What if it was a creepy stalker, wanting to… uh, I won't say any more…

Slightly more reluctant, I headed to Stage 5. Stage 5 had been abandoned for a few years, now that the show that filmed there, 'Hoiser Girl', ended **(I really don't know if Hoiser Girl was really filmed there or not… *shrug*)**. That made it twice as scary. I remembered watching those movies as a kid that Mom told me not to watch, with Lucy, where the little girl went to the abandoned house and got attacked by the bad guy… I didn't sleep for nights after watching those. And now, I was worried I was that girl, walking off to her doom! I tried not to think of it.

I arrived, edgy, and when my phone beeped it took me a second to recollect myself.

_Good. Now, please make your way to the back of the stage. There will be a door with a sign on it. You'll understand when you see. Open the door, and go inside. I will meet you in there._

I was reluctant but curious. I made my way to the back of the stage, where there was a single door with a piece of paper.

_Sonny x, _it read.

I opened the door, my heart rate increasing, and when I entered the room it felt like I'd been transported to a different part of the world. It was one of the star's old dressing rooms – and it had been transformed. The backing wall was of a scene of a deserted island, and a lonely figure stood in the centre of the room. The lights were dim, but nothing to stop me from recognising that figure.

Chad Dylan Cooper.

He was stood, smiling shyly, holding a single rose. He was dressed smartly – expensive black jeans, a white shirt and a black-ish blazer. He looked up at me with pleaded, guilty eyes, and I felt my whole body relax as I ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. He didn't hug me back – he pushed me away lightly, looking into my eyes, and I felt instantly bad. Never had I seen Chad look so guilty of something. So… angry with himself.

"Sonny…" His voice came harsh, raspy… and I realised he must've still been suffering his hangover. "I am so… so _sorry… _I'm such a jerk…"

"No, Chad." I interrupted, "This was all my fault. I'm the one who got you drunk, I'm the one who suggested the stupid party in the first place. If it wasn't for me doing those things, you wouldn't have said what you said. You were drunk – you didn't mean what you said."

"No, I didn't." Chad admitted, "I could _never_ not love you… I was _stupid _to say that to you – someone so kind, funny, sweet, beautiful… the truth is, I don't deserve someone as perfect as you."

"Don't say that." I said, "If anything, you're the perfect one. You're amazing, Chad. If anything, I'm unworthy of you."

Chad laughed, "Are you kidding?" I nodded, sorrowfully, "Sonny, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me! I couldn't live without you."

I looked up at him from under my fringe, and he was smiling at me, softly.

"Smile?" He asked, and I tried, but after all that happened the night before, I was finding it hard to. Chad chuckled.

"Remember the first time we kissed?"

I remembered it as he asked – the pressure from the press, all our attempts to kiss that didn't work out, and then we decided to go back to being friends – the hug… and then the kiss. It was like a dream. **(Sonny with A Kiss)**

"Ah…" Chad said, and I realised the requested smile had crept onto my lips, "Much better."

I whacked him softly on the arm, giggling, and he smirked that old smirk from years ago that I'd missed.

"Haha," Chad smirked as I stuck my tongue out at him, "Remember all those years ago, with that picnic on Lookout Mountain?" **(chapter 49)**

"How could I forget?" I said with a smile. He turned around, and I followed his gaze to a red blanket and a small picnic basket, on a sand-like surface.

"Well… why don't we relive it?" He asked, "But this time… on a beautiful South Pacific island!"

I grinned. Chad always knows what I want – even up to the last little detail – he even remembered the Dr Pepper! We sat down on the blanket, clinking our glasses together. Chad then looked up at me with shy, wishful eyes, and my heart skipped a beat. He just looked so darn _cute_…

"Sonny…" He began gently, "To apologise wasn't the only reason I brought you here."

"It wasn't?" I asked, suddenly very curious and excited.

"Uh no…" He said. He took my hand – the one with the engagement ring, the promise ring, and squeezed it softly, "I think it's time."

I looked up at him, knowing straight away what he meant. I gripped his hand, smiling a small, yet real smile, "I do too."

* * *

Those next few months went fast. We set a date – 4th May, and it took us five months to get everything set up with St Ryan's Hope Church – the same church my Mom and Dad – and Chris and Melanie – got married in. We're hoping the church's tradition of happy endings applies to us too; although we don't feel like we're gonna need the help.

But hey… just in case, right? I'm a huge believer in jinxing stuff, so maybe I just did…, meh, I dunno.

And now, here I am, in my wedding dress, my bridesmaids – Tawni (maid of honour), Abby, Zora, Lucy, Maisie, Annie, Soph, Jessie (remember? My friends from Wisconsin?)… the list could go on, but I realised any more and the aisle would be clogged up with girls wearing fancy cream and white dresses and carrying little bouquets.

I scan myself in the mirror one last time, smiling a little. The dress is beautiful – custom-made. It's full length, white, and has lines of silver beads along the waistband. **(I'll put a picture of it on my profile later) **My veil covers my face delicately, and there is a small white rose in my hair. My shoes are traditional fairy tale sparkly, 2 inch heels. My make-up is light, but I still manage to look like a princess. I just wish I had the confidence of a princess – I'm worried I'm gonna faint going up the aisle. Not exactly the perfect thing to happen in a wedding… especially my own.

"Ready?" Mom says to me once more, and I nod, my heart rate getting faster and faster as I walk out of the room and into the room where my family, my friends, my new husband… are all waiting.

As I enter, the band starts playing and everyone stands and turns to watch me. Everyone expect Chad, who is abiding by one of his family's traditions of not seeing the bride until she reaches the alter. He told me about it. He is there, wearing a tuxedo that makes him look so _hot_, along with his best _men, _Nico and Grady – he couldn't pick. My Chad, always the fair one. Tee hee ;)

I'm sure I see the two of them whisper something to Chad, and he shuffles around a little. Nico then looks past me to my maid of honour – also known as _his _girlfriend…

I know. Tawni. Nico. Dating. Crazy, right?

But sweet. I'm happy for them.

By the time I've arrived at the alter, Chad is getting twitchy, and I can almost see the relief on his face as he sees me arrive. He turns to see me, before his eyes go wide.

"Whoa…" He whispers as everyone takes their seats. "You look… wow. Beautiful."

It's a good thing the veil is covering my face, because that way everyone can't see the blush creep up on my cheeks. Mom kisses my cheek sweetly, telling me she's proud again, before nodding happily to Chad, as a sign of respect, pride. He grins, before facing the priest as he greets the congregation.

**(Sorry guys. Only been to one wedding, and I can't remember much details. So I'mma skip the wedding. Unless you guys want it as a one-shot, but it won't be much. Tell me if you do want it!)**

* * *

A few hours later, we're in Green Bay Hall for the wedding. Everyone is dancing and laughing and having fun, and all I can do is spend time with my _husband. _

_Husband_. I feel so lucky to call someone like Chad my husband. It's brilliant, like a dream come true. Now I really feel like a princess! (I know… cliché…) And now, all that's left is children… and my life will be pretty much complete.

"I just can't believe it…" Tawni says, her arms around Nico as she wipes her eyes, "My little girl has grown up… and got married!"

I giggle, "Tawni, I'm not your little girl…"

"Still!" She weeps jokingly, "I've known you so long… what if you ditch me now you're married?"

I smirk, "Relax, Tawni, how could I ditch you? you're my awesome Hollywood bestie."

This makes Tawni happy. She hugs me before tottering over to dance with Nico. At that moment, the DJ calls over the mic that it's time for mine and Chad's first dance, and the dance floor clears to leave space for us. Chad looks over at me, smirking, before holding out his hand.

"Shall we, m'lady?"

I giggle taking his hand, "We shall…"

We walk to the dance floor as a slow track I recognise as _Lightweight_ by Demi Lovato comes on, and I grin ear to ear. One of my favourites… **(Sorry. After my Unbroken high, I couldn't resist ;)) **

"A waltz it is then…" Chad says with a smile, before dipping me and swinging me around in proper waltz style, making me squeal and grin and laugh, before he pulls me close and kisses me softly. I wrap my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, as the people watching 'aw; and clap, before joining the dance. As it finishes, everyone applauds as Chad and I kiss one last time. Chad grins.

"C'mon…" He says, "We're leaving."

"Whoa, whoa…" I say, dragging him back as he runs off. "Now? The reception hasn't even finished!"

"But we have." He winks, "We're going now, to catch the flight to our honeymoon…"

I squeal internally, "Honeymoon?"

"Yup." Chad smirks, "So, let's go!"

* * *

We watch from the back of limo as people run after the car, waving, before we fall into each other's arms, smiling.

"So…" I say, "Where are ya taking me?"

"You'll see…" Chad says with a wink, and I growl.

"You know I don't like surprises!"

"Believe me…" Chad says secretively, "You'll love this one…"

I roll my eyes lightly, elbowing my husband as he chuckles.

"So… ready for the rest of our lives, Mrs Cooper?"

I giggle at my new name, "Bring it on."

* * *

**Wow. I didn't see how cliche that was till I read it over... meh.**

**Anyways... I just want to say, thank you to all you readers! I am on 449 reviews - that's amazing! That y'all so much for all your reviews, alerts, favourites... you are the reason I write. I've really started to appreciate you - my FanFiction family... you have inspired me. Because of you guys, I will definitely go for a career writing! Thank you all so very very much. I love you all!**

**Peace, Love, Happiness...**

**~Amy x**


	51. The Other Point Of View

**Hey guys! I know - update. Thing is, I bring bad news with this chapter...**

**Two pieces in fact. Bad news number one - This chapter is mega short. Like, half it's usual side. But I wanted this chapter to just be Chad's side of the wedding, and next chapter will be the honeymoon stuff, which will all be romantic and fluffy and splidge. Ya, made-up-word. Lol :P**

**Bad news number two - this story is COMING TO AN END! *cries for 15 minutes straight*. I know, it's so sad... but I'm running out of drama and ideas. There will be 3/4/5 chapters after this, but after that... we will say a fond farewell to LWMS. *cries again*. **

**Now for the two pieces of good news! Good news part one - to k.98'PeaceOutSuckas (I did that by memory, please don't hate me if it's wrong) Please don't stop begging! Me likes your begging! I always smile when I see a review from you!**

**And good news two... this story hit 500 REVIEWS! WHOOT! I just wanna thank you all so so so much for that - when I started this story, I didn't expect it to do as well as it's processor... but you guys proved me wrong! C'mon, keep reviewing! Let's see how many we can get by the end!**

**Meh, now I realise this AN is TOO LONG, so I'll just say... enjoy! And I don't own SWAC!**

* * *

**Chapter 51 - The Other Point Of View **

**(Coz it's CDC's POV of the wedding. I've been puzzling on that for ages. I know. Brilliant name for a brilliant chap -_-)**

Chad's POV

_C'mon, Chad. You can do this. Just… stay calm. Relax. _

Relaxing is the last thing on my mind though, right now. At the moment I'm just trying to not pass out from nerves. That would be an embarrassing thing to do at my own _wedding. _

Yup. Wedding. Me, and Sonny Munroe. Someone pinch me – this has to be a freakin' _dream_.

I tried that earlier – pinching myself – but I didn't wake up. I expected to come round as a 16 year old boy, stupid, rude, with a big ego and surfer-boy long hair, with Sonny Munroe being just a girl in my dreams. Something of my imagination. Because, I swear, Sonny Munroe is just too good to be true.

And yet, I'm stood in a church in Wisconsin, with her family and mine behind me, as I wait impatiently for my beautiful new wife to come striding down the aisle, looking as perfect as usual – only this time, in a white dress, made especially for my bride. I twiddle my thumbs, my heart racing and my mind spinning, as I try to process how I, Chad Dylan Cooper, could've landed someone like Sonny. I mean, she's just so perfect and I'm so… _not. _

_That_ was proven during the party we had when her album hit Platinum a five months ago. Sonny, even in a drunken state, was still as innocent as ever, refusing my demands to… go too far. And I'm proud of her for standing up to me like that. More and more memory of that night came back every day for days after it – and to be honest, I wasn't pleased with what I saw. I was surprised that I could be so… _untoward_; especially to the woman I love the most in the world.

I was disgusted with myself. That night, I slapped Sonny. I yelled at Sonny. I told her she was worthless, that I didn't love her, among other things… well, I've decided – I'm never getting drunk again. Not if it makes me do _that. _I vowed to myself that I'd protect Sonny, and that night, I did quite the contrary. And I was horrified to find it out.

Even in my drunken state that night, there was a small part of me that was still _me _– and I remember rolling around in the bed in the guest room that night, listening to that small part of me scold myself, for being such a loser. If Sonny could stay so strong in such an awful situation… why couldn't I?

Because I was a mess. I was a complete train wreck, and I knew I had to clean up that mess, bit by bit, until everything was clean, or as clean as it could be. As the night went on, I got more sober, and as that happened, I got angrier with myself. Early in the morning, I decided I had to leave. Get things straight in my head. It didn't even occur to me that if I was driving, I should've at least waited till the morning to make sure all the alcohol was out of my system, but at that moment, I didn't care. I just needed some space to think things through.

So I drove, alone, to the place where it all started – where I met Sonny – Condor Studios. I hadn't been working there for years, but I knew no-one would be around, and if I could get past the guards, I'd have some peace and quiet.

I snuck around the back of the studio, reaching Stage 5, which had been abandoned for a few years. I found small room at the back, and was surprised (and a little spooked) to see the door wasn't locked. But, slightly reluctant, I entered. There was a single chair in the middle of it, and I sat in it, because my feet were killing me and I felt like I was either gonna hurl or faint (reminder – _never _drinking again). I lied back in the chair and allowed myself to daydream. And that's when I realised…

I had to apologise to Sonny, for being a total jerk to her.

And in my tired-yet-awake, still-half-drunk state, I came up with a plan.

* * *

It took a while to get it together. I had to visit the So Random supplies closet for a few props, a backdrop, and so on, and all while avoiding the Condor Studios security. When everything was set up, it was almost noon. And that's pretty good going, considering I was alone and I only started early morning. And I was avoiding people left, right, and centre. If I got caught, I'd probably have been locked up for trespassing or something… not a good idea.

But hey, I avoided being arrested, and the abandoned room now looked kinda nice. Like the kind of place Sonny told me she wanted to go to someday on vacation or something. A sandy, white beach on a quiet, peaceful island in the middle of nowhere. I gazed into the backdrop that I'd found at So Random, and had to admit, this deserted island thing looked pre-tty good. I remember thinking that maybe Sonny and I could go somewhere like that on vacation – only if my plan worked and she forgave me.

Hmm… romantic place, check. I'd snuck to the cafeteria and found some food to put in the basket I still had in my car to make a picnic. Romantic picnic, check. And I had an idea of my aim in my head – all that was left was to get Sonny here…

But how? I couldn't just call her and say "Get over here", coz a) it would be rude, b) it would ruin the surprised, and c) she might not have come, if she knew it was me. She may have been avoiding me after last night.

I remembered Sonny was a very curious girl, and couldn't resist a phone call telling her to come somewhere, no matter how many of the scary movies and strict parent talks about not meeting with strangers had advised her not to. So, I blocked my caller I.D. the way Zora had taught me (really, don't ask), and sent her a text.

_Sonny. Come to Condor Studios, asap. I'm waiting for you._

It felt weird not signing the text with '_Chad'_ or _'x'_ on the end, but I knew if I did either of those she would probably assume it was me. I wanted to keep it a surprise. I didn't get a reply from the text, so I assumed three or four things. First – she was on her way. Two, she ignored it. Three, she hadn't seen the text yet. Four, she'd been kidnapped or the house had caught on fire or something (that one was highly unlikely, I know).

* * *

About 20 minutes later, and I was getting impatient. Our house isn't that far from the studio… Sonny would've been there by now, if she was coming. So, I came to the conclusion that she's wasn't.

I headed out of the studio, towards my car, trying to get my head straight. I had so many questions. Should I go back to the house? Should I go see Dad? Should I just drive as far away from here as possible and jump off a cliff? Actually… scratch that. Suicide wasn't an option – not then. Not at 22, with my whole life ahead of me, and no conformation that Sonny and I were actually through.

Besides, it was then, when I walked to my car, when I realised that I shouldn't give up on Sonny yet.

A little red car drove across the parking lot, and I hid as I watched the familiar car park in an empty space and a brunette beauty get out. She checked her phone over the rim of her sunglasses – once, twice, before scanning the lot like she was looking for someone. I grinned.

Sonny. She had come.

I reached for my phone as I headed back to Stage 5, and sent another text.

_Good. You're here. Now, please make your way to Stage 5._

I did the same for a few minutes, directing her around; before she arrived at the place I was waiting. When she opened the door, I tried for a smile, but it was hard when I remembered what I'd done to her the night before. The memories made me feel sick, and I was so upset I thought I was just going to get down on my knees and grovel at her feet. I didn't care if I lost my dignity for it – it was better than losing _her _all together.

I was holding a rose, like in those sappy movies, and looked up at her with hopeful, apologetic eyes. I was trying to speak, apologise, but the words got caught in my mouth, messed up in my head, like I'd suddenly had a panic attack. Never had I been so lost for words in my life. But I knew I had to say something.

"Sonny…" I said, my voice raspy because I hadn't talked, or drank, since last night, and my throat was sore. Plus, my head still ached after the _stupid _alcohol. "I am so… so _sorry_…" I heard my voice crack as I saw the concern in Sonny's eyes, and prayed a thank-you in my head for not letting her go totally against me. At least I knew she didn't hate me now. "I'm such a jerk…"

"No, Chad." Sonny interrupted, walking towards me, "This was all my fault. I'm the one who got you drunk, I'm the one who suggested the stupid party in the first place. If it wasn't for my doing those things, you wouldn't have said what you said." She smiles a little, and I feel the hatred towards myself melt. "You were drunk." She adds with a giggle, "You didn't mean what you said."

"No, I didn't." I agree, "I could _never_ not love you… I was _stupid_ to say that to you – someone so kind, funny, sweet, beautiful…" I took her hands and held them tight, "The truth is, I don't deserve someone as perfect as you."

"Don't say that." Sonny frowned, "If anything, you're the perfect one." I laughed emotionlessly in my head. Yeah, right. "You're amazing, Chad." Sonny assured me, nonetheless. "If anything, I'm unworthy of you."

I laughed. She was joking, right? "Are you kidding?" She nodded, and I chuckled. Crazy… "Sonny, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me! I couldn't live without you."

Sonny looked up at me, and I felt my heart leap. Sonny Munroe – the girl who was perfect just the way she was, but didn't know it. **(I only just realised how Bruno Mars-y that sounded. Meh… continue) **"Smile?" I asked of her, but she shook her head. I frowned before figuring out how to make her do so. "Remember the first time we kissed?"

At this she smiled, and I rewarded her for showing her beautiful smile by returning it, making both of us laugh. "Ah…" I sighed, "Much better."

She smiled at me, happy, and I realised I'd been forgiven for my stupid mistake. And that felt amazing to know that I had been forgiven for my greatest mistake.

I treated Sonny to the picnic on the 'little island' I'd created earlier, and she seemed to enjoy it, before I remembered. I wanted this to be it. I wanted our mistakes to be over, and I wanted to finally get married to Sonny Munroe. I wanted her to be my wife, finally.

"I think it's time." I told her. To my surprise, she gripped my hand, and smiled.

"I do too." She replied.

* * *

So, that was that. The wedding was set, for 5 months later. Sonny invited everyone – from old Condor Studios staff to Wisconsin family members to old school friends. She invited so many people I was worried that her side of the church would be significantly fuller than my side.

So I tried. I found all of my old cast members (who, apart from Chastity and Skyler, I'd almost lost touch with), my extended family and long-lost friends from all over the states. Some of them even came from Texas, Florida, saying how big I'd got and how proud they were of me and how excited they were for the wedding, the women begging to meet Sonny and the men giving me advice on married life that I tossed into the "Save Just In Case" file of my mind. You know… just in case.

Considering Sonny and I are getting married at the 'church of happy endings' though, I don't think they will be needed.

And so, those five months went way too quick. I look back at the scene behind me, with the crowd gathered, along with a few flashes of cameras, both inside from our parents, and outside from the sneaky paparazzi. I turn back, to look at my watch. Eleven… the ceremony should be starting now. I'm freaking out – worrying if everything's gonna work out – if Sonny will come through those doors and say the two words, if our honeymoon will be as great as I hope, if married life will be as scary as I've been warned or if, with Sonny, it'll be a breeze.

And then I add the idea of children to the equation, and begin to feel sick.

"Hey."

A voice whispers next to me, and I turn to see Nico and Grady, stood smiling.

"You okay?" Grady asks.

"Oh, yeah." I lie, "Piece o' cake… sorta."

They smirk. "Hey, we're here for ya." Nico says with a smile.

I really believe them.

And I know that's weird, but since So Random and Mack Falls ended for the three of us, we've started to get along. So much so, that I made them my joint best _men. _So much so, that they said they'd be honoured.

I hear a door open behind me and feel a lump form in my throat as the music starts. The sound of people shuffling behind me as they got up to see Sonny rose across the room, and it was hard not to look back as I could hear everyone hold their breath. It's a family tradition to not see the bride until she reaches the alter, and I was sure to apply to the rule.

"She looks beautiful." Nico tells me, and I smile, proud and not overly surprised. She always looks beautiful, anyways.

What feels like a forever later, Sonny arrives, and I sigh with relief. I couldn't resist much longer. I turn to face her with a smile, but when I see her, she looks like a completely changed girl. More… a woman, than a girl.

"Wow…" Is about all I can say. "You look… wow." I try to say more, but I'm speechless. I've never seen Sonny look so… perfect. Nico's word 'beautiful' springs to mind, so I say that. Sonny's veil is white but that doesn't stop me from seeing the blush rise in her cheeks. I grin. She still looks like an angel.

Her mom wishes her the best before smiling at me, and I feel respected. Like I'm finally being accepted in the family, for real.

"Dearly beloved…"

* * *

"I can't believe we're on our way!" Sonny says with a grin, as we watch the paparazzi behind us, running as fast as they can before giving up. We're leaving the reception, and are now on the way to our honeymoon in a nice, _expensive_ white limo. Hey, I don't care about the price. I can afford it.

"This is so exciting!" Sonny is saying, jiggling in her seat as I take her hand and hold it tight.

"Sure is." I say.

"Seriously though," She says, moving her fringe from in front of her eyes, "Can you really not tell me where we're going?"

"Nope." I say with a grin. "I want it to be a surprise."

"I don't like surprises!" Sonny repeats, stropping jokingly, and I laugh.

"Well, too bad." I say, "You'll have to wait."

"Can't you at least give me a clluuueee?" She asks with a pout, and I roll my eye, unable to resist anymore.

"Fine." I say, "Some people call this place the _happiest place on Earth_."

Sonny blinks – once, twice, before shrugging. "No help," She sulks, and I laugh.

"Well then, you're gonna have to wait a few hours." I say, "Don't be impatient, m'dear."

Sonny rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and falling into the car seat. "Fine."

"Fine." I smirk.

"Good."

"Good."

Sonny laughs, "Some things never get old, do they, dear husband?"

I laugh, "No, they don't. Mrs Cooper."

Sonny giggles at this while I just smile.

Mrs Allison Sonny Cooper… it just sounds right. Don't ya think?

Well, I do.

* * *

**Yup. That was IT. You all got excited for that. But I will do better next time, Pinky pwomise. **

**But... quizzy time! Does anyone know where this "Happiest Place On Earth" is? If you guess right (or your guess at least makes me laugh) you will get a character in the next chapter... so get thinking! :D**

**So... review, I guess? I know that sucked as an update, but please do review anyways.**

**Love y'all so much.**

**~Amy x**


	52. The Honeymoon

**Heysies! I'm back with another chapter of LWMS!**

**Meh, the end is coming so quickly... but hey, I'm glad that you guys reviewed 'Story Ideas' to help me make my decision as to what to post next! And if you haven't done so yet, please do! At the moment, I think Stars Lost At Sea is in the lead...**

**Anyways, before we get on with the chapter, I wanna thank y'all for your reviews last time! Those of you who guessed - thanks :P I got a lot of 'DisneyLand's... lol xD But I decided to put two people into the chapter. One person got it right (only because I gave him a clue... :P) and another person made me giggle with her many answers :P MrB.o.B1990 and BeingHannah923! Watch out for their characters in the chapter :P You shall see this 'happiest place on earth' when we get there ;P**

**Also, thanks to k.98'PeaceOutSuckas for her many reviews (yes, I love you too! Sissy ;P) and her little challenge for me to write. I shall think about it, m'sis, but so far I got nothin'...**

**And I also want to thank everyone else for their reviews - 22 reviews! I'm on 532 reviews! And I know this is a tall order, but do you think, maybe, we could make it to 600 reviews by the end of the story? *hopeful face* I have plans for 3 chapters, maybe 4, after this one, so that would be roughly slightly less than 20 reviews a chapter? We shall see!**

**I think that's it... a long enough A/N! Chapter time, me thinketh.**

**I don't own SWAC. Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 52 - The Honeymoon**

Sonny's POV

Chad and I arrive at LAX, where his private jet is waiting for us. Luckily, I'm no longer wearing my wedding dress – that would've caused a lot of attention – we stopped off home to get some suitcases we packed last night. So the both of us changed. And Chad said we were going somewhere hot, maybe hotter than LA, so I made sure to pack a lot of shorts, skirts and T-shirts. But also a few jackets and coats, just in case.

And now we're on Air Chad, making our way to… wherever it is we're going. Yup. Chad refused to tell me until we get there.

Grr.

I tap my foot impatiently on the plane floor, gripping Chad's hand and squeezing it tight. Chad laughs.

"Is someone afraid of flying?"

I roll my eyes, whacking him on the arm, "No, you dolt. Remember I've flown in a plane many times, and I actually love flying. So ha!"

Chad looks down to my hand for a few seconds, and then back up, a dumbfounded look on his face that still looks as adorably stupid as it did six years ago. "So… why are you holding my hand?"

I glare at him, "What, so I can't hold my own _husband's _hand?"

Chad opens his mouth to say something, before closing it again. "S'pose." He mumbles. Pleased with myself for no apparent reason, I clap a little, before reaching for Chad's hand and squeezing it again. He doesn't protest this time.

It's this moment when I dare to look over Chad to see outside the window, and I feel my breath catch on the back of my throat.

The sea. Nothing but sea, for miles.

"It's beautiful…" I breathe, "The Pacific?"

"Yup." Chad says with a smile, and my brain begins to process the info.

"So… if we're over the Pacific… are we going to Hawaii?" I ask, trying to hide the excitement in my voice.

"Hmm…" Chad says, "I could tell you, but that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

I groan, exasperated, "Chaaaad!"

He smirks, "Okay, I'll tell you. We're not going to Hawaii. But I'm sure wherever we're going is exotic-y enough to make those little coconut drinks with the umbrellas too."

I smile, closing my eyes and picturing this exotic coconut-drink-selling place… a white, sandy beach, palm trees like in LA, the waves rolling softly against the coast as Chad and I lean back in a hammock, hugging each other, watching the sunset.

It's almost too good to believe.

* * *

A few hours later, we land with a shudder (my least favourite part of being on a plane), and I swallow repeatedly as to stop my ears from popping. I remember when I first came to California all those years ago, on a plane, and Mom gave me one of those boiled sweets to suck while the plane was landing. I almost choked on it. Yeah… not a good experience for my first few moments on Californian soil…

We step off the plane, and I have to shade my eyes with my arm. The sunlight is blinding – something I missed those hours we were on the plane – and as I walk down the plane's stairs I feel my legs cramp up. So Chad carries me down, bridal style, the rest of the way. I'm glad I'm wearing shorts, or this would've been a very embarrassing experience while wearing a skirt… imagine if the paparazzi had captured that!

But… when I get my first real look at the place… I notice there's no-one. No paparazzi – just two people – a man and a woman who look in their early thirties – with dark skin and big smiles. Chad puts me down as we reach the ground and my leg cramp fades, and then shakes the two people's hands, grinning. They are dressed in white shirts and black shorts, and Chad says they're going to be showing us to where we'll be staying. They introduce themselves – the man as Sato, the woman as Gina, and lead us to the car which will take us where we're going. A chorus of locals are singing, and Sato tells us they're singing the anthem of the country _Yumi, Yumi, Yumi, _which means "We, We, We". **(I had to do a little research for that. Go Wikipedia! ;P)**

"I know it's no LA limo…" Chad pouts as we arrive at the car, and I laugh.

"It will be fine." I say, "It's nice to get away from all the fame and fortune."

Chad smiles, proud of himself, opening the door for me. I get in, thanking him and he chuckles, before getting in himself. I look out the window and smile as I read the words in the front of the airport and realise finally where we are.

"_Welcome to Vanuatu, the happiest place on Earth"…_

As long as I'm with Chad, I totally agree.

* * *

**(Meh, more research time) **We arrive at the resort where we're staying, which is on the island of Efate, one of the many islands that make up Vanuatu. We have to take a boat to get there, but I love it. It's nice to be somewhere like this… away from all the paparazzi, the fame, the pressure to be perfect… I'd stay in Vanuatu, if I could.

I really mean it.

We're staying in a place called Forari **(*laughs* It sounds like Ferrari xD)**… it's beautiful. I've seen the beach while driving past… white sand, palm trees, calm sea, a little bar… and that hammock, ready for those nights Chad and I are going to do nothing but relax. It reminds me of my dream on the plane, only better. Way, way better.

There aren't many other people where we're staying – a group of friends, a few couples… and I wonder if we're going to be recognised.

I'm answered quickly.

A few seconds after we step in the door, a late-teenage girl with auburn hair peers over, before tapping the guy next to her, who has darker hair. They both look in our direction, before turning away again. I can hear them whisper-arguing, before a few minutes later, the girl totters over shyly, smiling hopefully. I tap Chad, who is talking to Sato about our arrangements, and he smiles kindly when he sees the girl.

"Hey…" She says shyly. "Are you guys… Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper?"

I can't help but smile – even in paradise, we get recognised.

"That's us." Chad says with a grin, and the girl's face lights up. She turns back to face the group and yells at the boy she was talking to, telling him to come over.

"I told you it was them." The girl sticks her tongue out, before holding out her hand, "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Actually…" The guy says, "I owe you twenty Vanuatu Vatu, which is about 22 cents."

The girl gasps, before stomping her foot and crossing her arms, "How do you know that?"

"Looked it up last night." The boy laughs, before the girl shoots him an intimidating glare.

"I will get you back for this." She says, and he just rolls his eyes lightly.

"Love you too, sis."

As sweet as this (apparent) brother-sister moment is, I think right now Chad and I are just super confused.

"Guys?" I say, catching the two's attention.

"Anyways," The girl smiles, recollecting herself, "We just wanted to come and see you guys!"

I smile kindly, happy to hear that they are fans, before turning to Chad, who's putting on a smile – a totally fake smile. I've known him long enough to say that he just wants to be alone with me – it is our honeymoon after all. Obviously he thought that, being that this place is all the way in the South Pacific, no-one would recognise us. Well, he was wrong.

"Ah, I get it…" The girl smiles, "You guys think we're just fans…"

"And…" Chad raises an eyebrow, "Why would you be talking to us if you weren't?"

I whack him on the back softly, but so that the two people we're talking to can't see it. The girl laughs.

"No, we're not fans… well, we are, but…" As she talks, I begin to recognise her more. She sounds an awful lot like a Wisconsinite… like home. "C'mon, Sonny, don'tcha recognise me? Hannah, from Wisconsin…"

Hannah… the name rings a bell. Hold up… Hannah; girl who was a few years younger than me in West Appleton High, and when I came back to Wisconsin I worked in that fast food restaurant with her! **(chapter 29)**

Hannah grins, flicking her auburn hair back, "Yup, I knew you'd recognise me."

"How couldn't I?" I say with a grin, hugging her, before turning to the boy behind her. I remember him too.

Bobbie; Hannah's older brother.

Somehow, I'm now squashed in a family hug, and I can't help but smile. I see Chad, slightly annoyed, on the edge of it, and drag him into the hug. He looks at me, confused, and I laugh.

"Friends from Wisconsin." I mouth, and he nods, smiling a little.

"So…" Bobbie says, as we drag ourselves out of the hug, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Honeymoon." Chad says, trying to sound happy but it comes out a little flat, and Hannah and Bobbie share looks of confusion.

"Yeah…" Hannah says, trying to lighten the mood Chad seems to have soured, "We heard you guys got married… nice on!"

"Thanks…" Chad says, "I just can't wait till we can be _alone_, you know? Coz it is our, uh, _honeymoon_."

I glare at him, for being rude, but Hannah and Bobbie are smart enough to get the hint.

"Well, in that case, we'll leave you to it!" Bobbie says, grinning. "We just need to get a little picture of you guys… friends at home don't believe we know you, so…"

I nod, smiling, and drag Chad into the picture. We all smile for the camera (Chad probably only because it's in his _nature _to smile for a camera), before Hannah and Bobbie thank us and head back to the gaggle of people they were hanging out with. Once they've turned away, I shoot Chad a death-glare for being so antisocial, and he laughs innocently.

"What's up?" He asks, and I whack him, slightly harder this time, on the arm. "Ouch!" He groans, "I really hope I'm not gonna be beaten often in this marriage." I stare him down, and his smirk fades to a pout. "Sorry, wifey-dear."

I smirk, "You're forgiven, darling husband." I say. At this moment, Sato and Gina come back into the lobby of the hotel, with our suitcases, and they lead us up to our luxury suite, Chad following. I'm at the back, and feel a tap on my shoulder as I reach the stairs. I turn back to see a smiling Hannah.

"He's even cuter in person." She says with a grin, and I nod, smiling.

"Yup." I say with a smile, "He is."

"He seems amazing…" She says, "You really are lucky."

I giggle, "I know."

* * *

Later on, late into the night, we've sorted out our room, and we've decided to go down to the beach for a little while, because no-one else is there right now. We want alone time, which, because of Hannah, Bobbie, Sato and Gina, we haven't yet got. I'm not overly bothered by that – we have a whole week alone… but I know Chad was slightly twitchy for us to spend some time at the beach, alone, together.

And now, we can.

Now, we're laying on the hammock I spotted earlier, sipping from those little coconut cocktails, and I feel like we're in one of those adverts for the most relaxing place on earth. Well, Vanuatu _is _the happiest (having a honeymoon here proves that) so there's no reason why it's not the most relaxing as well!

I'm leaning against Chad's chest, and can't hear anything but the soft beating of his heart, the rustling of the palm leaves, and the waves washing on the shore. The sunset is beautiful, magical, and I wish we could be here forever.

I'm falling asleep on Chad's chest, half-way between consciousness and slumber, and Chad Is stroking my hair gently, which really doesn't help. That always makes me tired **(ditto)**. Meh, I need waking up. I don't want to be falling asleep on my husband, our first night of being married! Rude, much?

I look over to the sea, only a few meters away, and realise I haven't tested the water yet. That is something I _have _to do, every time I go on vacation somewhere. And even now, I still need to go along with said tradition.

I escape from my husband's grip, running down to the sea, yelling "LAST ONE IN THE SEA'S A ROTTEN EGG!"

Chad, dazed, follows me. I glance back to see him taking off his shirt, to reveal his abs, before he breaks out into a sprint. I watch, tired out, as he speeds past me, climbs up some random rock, and dives down into the water in the traditional-Chad way;

"CANNONBALL!"

After being drenched by the aftermath of Chad's cannonball, I decide the water is just about cool enough to wake me up. I walk into the waves, shivering a little as I take off my T-shirt and shorts and leave them on the beach, before wading over to where Chad has just come up from under the water, and is now laughing.

"I think I won that." He says triumphantly. I whack him lightly on the arm, and he groans.

"It's lucky I've got stronger since we first dated… I don't want to bruise like last time." I giggle, and he frowns, even though I know he's joking, "I'm serious! You're not gonna become a husband-beater, are you?"

I roll my eyes, "Jerk."

"Love you too, darlin'."

I can't help but forgive him – like I ever fell out with him in the first place. But, just to be fun…

"I'll forgive you…" I say, rubbing my chin, "Only if… WATER FIGHT!"

I cup my hands and fill them with salty-sea water, before throwing it at Chad. My attempts for revenge aren't very successful and only get Chad feebly wet… but that's enough, if I know Chad. Especially since it hit his hair.

"Okay, now you're gonna get it, my dear…"

Chad splashes me with the water, and considering I haven't yet got my whole body wet, the water feels freezing on my shoulders and chest. I scream, before splashing Chad back and running backwards, trying to protect myself from possible frost-bite caused from this water (and no, I'm not over-exaggerating. Well, I might be…).

"Watch where you're going!" Chad yells as he chases me.

Unfortunately, where I'm going is the last thing on my mind. I just want to get back to safety… which doesn't happen. As I run, my foot collides with something, and it makes me trip. I let out a yell of pain and collapse to the sea floor (not as deep as it sounds), and Chad notices straight away, gasping, before running to my "rescue". He lifts me up, bridal style, and looks me in the eyes, a heroic look on his face. I laugh, before glancing at my foot and wincing. It looks kind of red.

Chad peers down at it, sighing, before looking back up at my face, "You'll be fine, don't worry." He says, before smirking, "Shall I kiss it and make it better? Although… I don't fancy cheese tonight…"

"Ha, hilarious." I say, kicking my feet around, trying to kick him, but all that does for me is cause more pain in my foot. Chad laughs, before carrying me back to the shore.

"Your foot's just a little sore," He says, "It'll heal, so don't fuss." I yawn, and he smirks, "You tired?" I nod a little, "Bedtime then."

I shake my head forcefully, and cross my arms, pouting. Chad laughs.

"Someone had one too many coconut cocktails…"

I bite my lip. "What do you mean by that?"

He doesn't reply. He just drags us both up to our room, and plonks me down on the bed. He collapses onto it next to me with a smile, before kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"I love you." He murmurs. That's the last thing I remember, before my eyes flutter shut and I fall into deep sleep.

Chad's POV

"Ouch, damn!"

Sonny is running ahead of me, in the water, but when she yells out I start to panic. Is she okay? I hope she's not hurt too badly… in fact, I hope she's not hurt at all.

I run up to where she's fallen, and pick her up to inspect the extend of her damage. Hmm… all seems fine, but her foot is a little red. Probably from where she fell… well, knowing my luck with that sorta thing (trust me – happened a lot. I'm so prone to small accidents, big accidents kinda avoid me…) **(Hannah… I borrowed your line ))**, she'll be okay.

Meh, I hope.

"You'll be fine, don't worry." I assure her, as she shoots me a look of panic. I try to make the situation less scary, and smirk, "Shall I kiss it and make it better?" Sonny laughs, "Although…" I add, "…I don't fancy cheese tonight."

"Ha, hilarious." Sonny moans as she tries to kick me with her cheesy feet, before she yelps a little in pain, and I laugh at how cute she is when in pain. Okay, I know… that sounded mean.

"You're foot's just a little sore," I explain to her as I take her out of the water, making way to the hotel room. "It'll heal, so don't fuss." She yawns a little, and I realise she's tired. Huh. Well, there go the rest of night's plans. "You tired?" I ask her, just to make sure, and she nods, "Bedtime then."

Sonny gasps as if "Bedtime" is the mother of all punishments, before shaking her head and pouting like a little kid. I laugh – silly behaviour plus drinks… equals a tipsy Sonny.

"Someone had one too many coconut cocktails…" I murmur, and unfortunately, she hears.

"What do you mean by that?" She asks, all innocence. I decide not to argue with her… especially since she's a little drunk. Huh, I suppose alcohol gets to m'lady easily… at least it doesn't make her violent, like it does with, um, _me_…

We get back to the room, and I place Sonny carefully onto the bed (well, as carefully as a person can when they're practically juggling their wife, both their clothes, and a key for the door… so not very carefully), and collapse next to her, all smiles. She tries to return one, but is too tired (and too tipsy) to do so.

I don't mind though, I kiss her softly on the cheek, which makes her smile, before telling her that I love her. Rather than returning the words like usual, Sonny stays silent. I smirk.

She's asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, and I'm lying next to my wife of… 18 hours, half-way between sleeping and not. I'm just… thinking. Thinking of how freakin' _lucky_ I am to have Sonny… as my wife. I think I've wanted this for, uh… six years. Since I met the girl, I'd say.

And next stop in our relationship – children. I've always wanted a child… and having a child with _Sonny_ would just be perfect. Maybe even more than one. I suppose we'll have to see where this goes…

I suddenly feel shuffling around next to me, and turn to see Sonny, moving around. I go to kiss her and say hi, before realising she's not awake yet. Huh, she must be dreaming.

Ah. It's so damn cute to see Sonny dream. It's as cute as watching her awake. And I know that sounds stalker-ish – but she's my wife now. Deal with it.

But there's nothing cute about this dream, by the sounds of it. Sonny is moaning, it's sounds like she's in pain. She's calling my name, and she sounds stressed.

She sounds like she's suffering.

I want to wake her up, stop her from suffering; but I know I shouldn't. It'll just make the nightmare (that is, presuming it _is_ a nightmare) worse when she next sleeps. So instead I just have to sit here and watch my wife suffer. Gosh, I feel like such a bad husband right now.

Sonny continues to call my name and scream quietly for a few minutes (which is lucky, otherwise we might have had people in the other rooms come to see what was going on. Embarrassing…), before she calms down.

"You're here." She says softly, and I realise (considering she's been saying my name the whole time) she must be talking about me. I grab her hand, for comfort, and smile.

"Yes, I am." I say.

"Please don't go." She whimpers, her lower lip quivering.

"I won't." I whisper, kissing the hand I'm holding. "I'm here for you."

She smiles a little, before screaming again, this time at a much higher volume. I cringe, angry by how much pain she seems to be going through and how I can do nothing to stop it. And I know it's a dream, but with the way she's acting, it's hard to believe it isn't real-life pain.

There's suddenly a knock on the door, and I sigh. Great. Someone heard her.

I get up, tired, and head over to the door. A young woman is stood there, with a concerned look on her face.

"Is everything… okay in here?" She asks, "I heard screaming…"

"Everything's fine." I say, "Sorry. It's just; my wife's having a nightmare…"

The woman looks past me to where Sonny is still lying. She whimpers a little, before screaming again. I roll my eyes up at the ceiling in frustration – this has to stop.

I walk back over to where Sonny's laid, and shake her and saying her name gently. I know she's probably gonna go through this dream again tomorrow night if I do this, but she unknowingly disturbing people, not to mention worrying me.

She calms down a little, and I sigh with relief. She says, "Rebecca" softly, before the smile fades from her face and she goes into proper slumber. The dream seems to have ended.

I turn back to the woman at the door, smiling. "It's okay." I say, "I think she's calmed down."

"Okay…" The woman says, "Well, if anything else happens, just come knock on my door. I'm right down the other end of the hallway… if you need me, you know where to go."

I smile gratefully, "Thanks for the offer, but I think she'll be fine. I hope so, anyway."

She nods, closing the door behind her, and I collapse back onto the bed.

"Rebecca." Sonny says once again, and that suddenly makes me curious.

Who is this _Rebecca_?

* * *

**So there you go! They're honeymoon-ing in Vanuatu! I wonder if anyone's heard of there... and if you don't believe me that it's the 'happiest place in the world', go look it up :P**

**Well, that was a nice long chapter to make up for the long wait. Sorry about that, by the way... anyways...**

**Soo... Hannah and Bobbie? ****Didja like your characters? ;D I hope you did!**

**Hmm... now it's time for me to beg for reviews! Lol xD No, seriously, please review! Remember that thing about 600 reviews? Let's see if we can do it! :D**

**Peace out ;P**

**~Amy x**


	53. Dreams and A Test

**Hey! :D**

**So I'd like to thank y'all for your reviews. I'm on 549! That's awesome :D**

**Shout-out to MissAbi97 for talking to me earlier on Twitter and calling herself "my biggest fan". Wow. I think that's the first time someone has done that. Thanks so much, Abi! :D**

**Also, k.98'PeaceOutSuckas – would you really like me to post one of your one-shots? Or shall I ask Hannah to do it – I'm sure she won't mind ;D Also, well done for remembering who Rebecca was… everyone else, you will find out soon enough… ;)**

**So, I have the rest of the story officially planned. Only four chapters left, including this one :'( But I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :D**

******I don't own SWAC :P**

* * *

**Chapter 53 - Dreams and A Test**

Chad's POV

Sonny's dreams, whatever they are, continue throughout our honeymoon. Not always, but most of the time.

And it's worrying me.

Almost every night, she has these dreams about me and this 'Rebecca'. I don't want to ask her what's wrong, because she doesn't mention them much. When I ask her what's wrong when she wakes up in the night, her breathing rapid, she tells me it was just "that dream" again, kisses me on the cheek, and goes back to sleep.

I wake up on the last morning, rubbing my eyes. I check the clock – 8:30am, and decide to pack, ready for the plane at 1pm. I turn over and kiss Sonny lightly on the cheek, and she mumbles hazily. I chuckle – she's still sleeping.

I get out of bed carefully, hoping not to wake her. I then fish around for our stuff to put in the suitcases, as quietly as I can.

I get through most of it in two and a half hours, considering I had to get breakfast and stuff. And at 11am, Sonny has only just woken up. She rubs her eyes tiredly, before looking up and me and I smile at her.

"Mornin', sleepyhead." I say with a smile. She smiles back – a weak smile, but a smile all the same.

"What time is it?" She asks, her voice hoarse.

"Eleven." I say after checking my watch, "I'm just packing ready for the plane journey back home in a couple of hours."

Sonny's eyes widen, before she shrugs and gets up. "Lemme help you pack…" She wobbles a little, probably because she's still tired. I can't help but grin – even when she's tired, Sonny just can't help _helping _people.

"Don't worry." I say, stopping her from getting up, "I got it. You look like you need the sleep."

Sonny gasps, before she smirks, "And what does that mean?"

Oops. "Sorry, Sonshine, I didn't mean it that way, I…"

Sonny giggles, "Don't worry, sweetie, I'm kidding." She says. I relax after that. At least she's not mad at me. "I just need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back…"

I watch her go with a smile, before putting the last pieces into the suitcase and zipping it up. Then, bored, I wait, sat on the bed, for Sonny to come out. She stays in there, a few minutes, mumbling something. I'm pretty sure I hear her say "it should be here by now" and "no, my stupid dreams have nothing to do with this…" To do with what? Is she okay?

A few minutes after she went in, Sonny steps out of the bathroom, a confused, worried look on her face. And of course, when she's worried, I'm worried.

"You okay, m'lady?" I ask her. It takes her a few seconds to reply, before she shakes her head and smiles at me. "I'm fine." She says, "Just need a nap…"

She wanders back over to the bed and collapses down onto it, snuggling up against one of the pillows and smiling a little. The smile doesn't last long, and she starts to toss and turn. She screams, before her breathing becomes rapid. She doesn't sound in a good place at all.

She's having the dream again.

"You're here." She breathes, a smile spreading across her face. She giggles, before screaming once more. "You're not gonna leave me, are you?" She continues.

"I'm staying right here." I say to her, grabbing her hand, even though from past experiences I know she can't hear me, and she isn't talking to me anyway. I think she's talking to a dream version of me. She smiles again, looking tired, before she screams once more. She looks distressed, and I sigh.

"Sonny!" I yell to her. She wakes up in a hot sweat, looking up at me. "Is everything okay?" I ask her.

"Yup, everything's fine." She says, "I just… had that dream again."

I sigh. Of course. That dream. When we get home, I need to take her to a doctor about these. I take her hand and lift her up so that she's secure on her own feet.

"It's time to go home." I tell her.

Sonny's POV

I wake up on the last day of mine and Chad's honeymoon, tired. I haven't had much _proper _sleep since we arrived in Vanuatu – Chad and I have been staying up late, talking, messing about on the beach, dancing, and then of course, I've been having the same dream every night.

And it's scaring me.

It's like I'm being haunted by dreams of Chad and _Rebecca_. In my dreams, this is the name of my daughter – and Chad's, of course.

Chad wakes me up, every night, to check if I'm okay. No, I never am. I'm usually scared, because of the dream I'm having; and annoyed, because I just know that every time Chad wakes me up from the dream, it means I am prone to having said dream again the next time I doze off.

So, I've been trying to stay awake for as long as I can. But I know resistance is pointless, and sometimes I just give in and let myself doze off. And sometimes, I am subconscious of my falling asleep. I only realise I've gone into slumber when the dream begins.

I wake up to see Chad, stood at the end of the bed, with a suitcase on it and a pile of clothes in his hands. He dumps the clothes in the suitcase, before looking at me and putting on a bright smile that tires me out. With all my energy, I smile back.

"Mornin', _sleepyhead_." He says. I cringe at that sentence, because he's right. I'm _soooo _tired…

"What time is it?" I ask him, my voice coming out croaky, and he looks to his watch before looking back at me with that same warm smile.

"Eleven. I'm just packing ready for the plane journey back home in a couple of hours."

Eleven? Wow. I really had slept in. Hmm, I should help Chad. "Lemme help you pack…" I say to him, getting out of bed. I get up slowly, but Chad stops me.

"Don't worry." He says, "I got it. You look like you need the sleep."

I smirk, "And what does that mean?" A look of panic escapes onto Chad's face, and I laugh.

"Sorry, Sonshine, I didn't mean it that way, I…"

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm kidding." I say with a chuckle. Chad sighs with a relief, and I smirk. "I just need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back…"

I come out of the bathroom a few minutes later, worried. It's my time of the month, and I haven't yet started.

Maybe I'm just being melodramatic – I mean; this can sometimes happen, right? A woman can miss a period?

It isn't like I am pregnant or anything…

Although… my dreams could be a crazy sign… I shake the thought out of my head. Don't be ridiculous, Sonny… your dreams are not a sign to you being pregnant. I've heard about some signs for pregnancy, and having dreams like the ones I've been having are _not _signs of me being pregnant. Maybe I've been having them because I want a baby?

Honestly, I don't know…

"You okay, m'lady?" Chad's voice comes out of nowhere, and I shake my head to stop it spinning, before turning to face Chad and smiling.

"I'm fine." I say with a smile, "Just need a nap…"

_Sleeping was not my brightest idea yet. I wake up in a room, like the one I've been in every night this week in my dreams. _

_I'm in a hospital. And I'm in agony. _

_I let out a few screams of pain, as the woman (who changes every night, but is the midwife. This time, she looks faintly like Tawni) tells me to calm down. She says that Mr Cooper is on his way, and for that, I sigh with relief. Just as she says so, the doors burst open, and a slightly older-looking Chad comes into the room. He looks scared, confused, worried… but also excited. _

"_You're here." I say. Chad runs over to the bed beside me, takes my hand, and holds it tight._

"_Did you really think I'd miss the birth of my child?" He laughs. I laugh too, but it hurts, and I cry out a little. Chad squeezes my hand, and his breathing speeds up._

"_It's okay, it's okay…" He assures me, "I'm here – I've got you. Everything's gonna be fine…" I smile, and start to pray that this is what Chad is gonna be like, when I give birth in real life. I really don't want him to be the husband in those rom-coms that faints when he sees blood. _

"_You're not gonna leave me, are you?" The words escape from my mouth._

"_Of course not!" Chad laughs. I feel a smile creep onto my lips, before the pain begins again. _

"_Sonny!" Chad yells in panic._

"Sonny!"

I open my eyes to see Chad, stood over me, looking concerned.

"Is everything okay?" He asks. I sigh.

"Yup, everything's fine." I assure him, "I just… had that dream again."

Chad sighs and shakes his head, before taking my hand and leading me to the door.

"It's time to go home." He says softly.

* * *

Weeks go by. The dream stops, but now I have bigger problems.

I have all the signs. No period, food cravings, morning sickness, et cetera, et cetera… I begin to think I'm pregnant.

I don't tell Chad though – it's a scary thought. We'd have to talk about it all. I know he wants a child – I do too – but what if I really _am_ pregnant? What will he say? What will he do? I trust him enough to know he wouldn't run away, but a tiny seed of doubt lives in my stomach, haunting me that if I ever did become pregnant, Chad would get scared and run off.

And not because he's Chad. Because I'm Sonny. Would he start to think I'm not worth the pressure of a baby? Would he want to leave me, alone with our unborn child?

I then mentally slap myself. Why the hell would Chad do that? Chad is Chad – he loves me, and he's not that kind of guy. He wouldn't hurt me like that… I _know_ he wouldn't…

I'm still terrified to tell him.

And so, five weeks after our honeymoon – five weeks after I could've possibly conceived – and I get one of those home pregnancy test kits. I wait till Mom's gone to work, Josh and Abby have gone to school, and Chad is out at a meeting for a new potential role in a movie.

I use the test, and am shocked when I see the result – even though I saw it coming…

Positive.

I'm pregnant.

I suddenly hear a door open, and then close, and shudder with fear. Someone's home.

"Sonny, I'm home!" I gasp at the voice.

Chad.

"Sonny?"

His voice is so innocent, so happy; he has no clue of what I just found out. He has no idea of how drastically our lives are going to change now. What if I just don't tell him about it altogether? In fact… no, scratch that idea. What kind of wife would I be if I did that? Besides, if Chad found out that I didn't tell him, he'd be heartbroken, and I have to face that fact that I can't hide this from him forever. I'll start to get bigger, be sick, have food cravings… things will change…

I don't know why I'm being so melodramatic… Chad won't be mad or upset if I'm pregnant. We're having a child – that's a good thing! We've been wanting a child – we knew that was one thing we wanted so much when we got married. And so here we are, married, with a baby on the way…

So why the heck am I so worried?

Because I have a fear in the back of my heart, my brain; telling me that Chad will drop me when he finds out. Chad loves me, I know that, but how do I know he'll be okay with me having a baby? What if I tell him I'm pregnant and he walks out on me? What will I do then?

I walk out into the hallway, where Chad is stood. He's taking off his jacket, but he recognises my presence with a smile.

"Hey, Sonny!" He calls over. He looks up at me and his face creases with worry. "Sonny, is everything okay?"

Oh no… he can tell something's wrong. He can see right through me.

"Sonny?" He says, his eyes glistening, "Sonny, talk to me…"

I don't know what to say. My knees feel weak, my heart is thumping. I need to get out of here. My legs lead me away from Chad, upstairs to my room. Tears unwillingly flood out of my eyes, and I slam the door behind me and lie down on mine and Chad's bed, hiding myself.

I'm not alone for long. Chad knocks softly on the door a couple of times.

"Sonny?" He calls through the door. He sounds sad, confused… and that makes me even angrier with myself for running out on him. I'm even madder at myself for thinking that he would run out on me if I told him I was pregnant. How untrusting can a person get; to think that the person who loves them the most would run out on them because something had changed?

"Sonny, please talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Go away." Is all I can manage. I need some time to think this through, and it's not the best idea to talk to Chad right now.

"You're mad at me?" Chad asks, his voice dripping with confusion and panic, and I wince. What am I doing? "Please, Sonny, I don't know what I've done, but whatever it is, please tell me. Then I can apologise for it. Please?"

I open the door, to where Chad is leaning against the frame. He bites his lip when he sees me.

"Sonny, I…"

Before Chad can finish, I find myself collapsing into his arms, sobbing into his shirt. Chad pulls a terrified face, and I hate myself for being such a mess. Why am I doing this to the man I love?

"S-Sonny?" He stutters, "What did I do?"

"It's not you…" I say, "I promise, it's not your fault. It's no-one's fault, it's just…"

"Sonny."

Chad looks down at me with confused, caring eyes. He takes a deep breath, before pronouncing each word; "What. Is. Wrong?"

He leads me into our room, sits me down on the bed, and takes a seat next to me. He grips my hand tightly and gazes into my eyes. He wants to know. He _needs _to know.

I'm not gonna hide this from him. We should be excited – a child is on the way! I know Chad's wanted this for ages! So have I! So, why exactly, am I so scared to tell him?

I take a deep breath, and hand him the pregnancy test that I put in my pocket to hide it from everyone. He looks down at it, confused, before looking back up at me.

"I-I'm pregnant." I say.

Chad's POV

It is five weeks since our honeymoon, and Sonny's been really jittery recently. Okay, so her dreams have stopped, and she's sleeping well. She just seems… different. She likes onions when she never liked them originally, and has gone off coffee completely. She's in bad moods regularly, and is always tired. To be honest, this is just as worrying as when she had those dreams!

I keep wondering what could be up with her… I mean, surely she isn't pregnant? She could've only got pregnant… during our honeymoon, 5 weeks ago. That's the only time she could've got pregnant… surely…

So… she could be pregnant… but maybe she isn't? Or maybe she is? I honestly don't know… I'm going to just wait for her to tell me about it. If she is pregnant, well, maybe she's worried to tell me. And besides, there's no guarantee she's pregnant.

Right?

I'll just have to wait to see what she says…

I arrive home from a meeting about a possible movie role for myself, to an empty house. Well, apart from Sonny. She said she didn't feel too well today, so she didn't want to go into the studio to work on her album. I didn't want to question – I just said it was fine and left her in our room, on the bed, with a TV and a couple of magazines. I didn't want to question her… illness.

I hear moving about in the downstairs bathroom down the hall, before out of the corner of my eye I see Sonny walk out. She stops in her tracks when she sees me.

"Hey, Sonny!" I say. She doesn't reply. I turn to face her, and realise something is very, very wrong. She looks tired, weary, eyes wide open, lower lip quivering. "Sonny?" I say, anxious, "Is everything okay?"

Her mouth opens. She goes to say something, but nothing comes out. Oh no…

"Sonny?" I say. She starts to back away, slowly, step by step. "Sonny, talk to me…"

She won't do as I ask. She closes her eyes to stop the waiting tears, and I watch horrified, as she runs away from me and up the stairs.

"Sonny!"

I follow her, concerned for my wife. She shuts the door to our room behind her, and I can hear soft sobbing. I knock on the door, hesitant, worried that I've upset her.

"Sonny?" I ask, sounding weak, helpless. Sonny doesn't say anything. "Sonny, please talk to me. what's wrong?"

"Go away." She mumbles, and my heart freezes. I have. I have upset her. I don't know what I've done… but it's obviously made her angry, sad. And that just about breaks my heart, to know I've hurt the woman I love.

"You're mad at me?" I say. She doesn't reply. I take that as a yes. Well… wh-what have I done? What have I done that hurt her so much? "Please, Sonny, I don't know what I've done, but whatever it is, please tell me. Then I can apologise for it." Nothing. "Please?" I add, meekly.

I hear some moving about inside, before the door opens. Sonny is stood in the doorway, looking frail. It makes me want to hurt myself for causing her this much pain. Well, I must be the reason she's so upset… right?

"Sonny, I…"

I don't get to continue.

Sonny gives way and falls into my arms, sobbing weakly into my shirt. I gasp in horror.

"S-Sonny?" I stutter out, "What did I do?"

Sonny sighs, "It's not you…" She says. My heart sighs in relief. "It's no-one's fault, it's just…"

"Sonny." She looks up at me, eyes foggy from the tears. I sigh, anxious and tired of questioning. "What. Is. Wrong?"

Sonny sighs. She bites her lip, like she's thinking hard, before fishing around in her pocket. She takes something out and hands it to me. It's a small rod, with a little screen. A blue line runs through the screen. Hold on… is this…?

"I'm pregnant." Sonny whispers.

It is.

My heart suddenly beats at about 5 times faster. Sonny's… pregnant? As in, with child? As in, I'm gonna be a father?

Wait… as long as this child _is _mine… no, wait, it's definitely mine.

"How long?" I ask, my voice coming out kinda shaky.

Sonny shrugs, "About… 5 weeks?"

Our honeymoon… there's no way she could've got pregnant by any other man then. Scratch that – there's no way she could've got pregnant by any other man _full stop. _I trust her. She's my _wife._

"I'm sorry I haven't told you sooner…" Sonny is saying, "…but I wasn't sure that I was pregnant and I was worried about what you'd do, what you'd say…"

"Hold up…" I say, "You were worried I'd say _what_?"

Sonny winces, "I don't know…" She says, "I was being stupid; I thought you'd get mad or worried when I told you…"

"Sonny, how could I be mad?" I say, perplexed, and Sonny shrugs. "I couldn't. I couldn't be mad, because it's not your fault you're pregnant, and you're talking about you _being_ pregnant like it's a bad thing!"

"It's not?" She mumbles, and I chuckle.

"Not even close! I just can't believe this is finally happening!"

Sonny grins, giving me a quick hug, before pulling away with a frown on her face.

"I need to tell you something." She says softly.

"What is it?"

She looks up at me with sad eyes and looks like she could hit herself. I put my arm around her back and stroke it comfortingly. "I… I was worried that, um…" Sonny stammers, "…if I told you I was pregnant, you'd walk out on me."

Sonny's words finally sink in after a few seconds, and they sting like a slap. "Why would I do that?" I say. I sound angry, hurt, but that's because I _really _am. My wife thought I'd get cold feet and walk out on her because she got pregnant? Who _wouldn't_ be hurt by that?

"I'm so sorry…" She cries, "I wasn't thinking. I was just so confused at the time, but I didn't want to keep a secret like that from you. I'm so, so sorry, Chad…"

I watch Sonny collapse into my arms as she holds back the tears, and all anger and hurt inside me melts away. I can't stay mad at her – not when she's in such a bad place. I guess I've realised that over the next few months, Sonny is gonna need me there, and I plan to stick by her side through all of it.

"Apology accepted." I whisper into Sonny's ear, before kissing softly. "You were scared – I don't blame you. I'd have probably been terrified…" I lift Sonny's head off of my shoulder and smile at her. She smiles back. "I promise, I'm not gonna just take off. This is my child too – I'm not leaving you alone with her. Or him."

Sonny grins, "You are the most amazing husband a woman could ever have, you know that?"

"No, Sonny." I say, "You're the most amazing _wife_ a _man_ could ever have."

Sonny chuckles, "Let's just agree we're both pretty awesome."

"Yep, we are." I agree with a smile.

Sonny giggles in agreement, before she gasps, "What are we gonna tell everyone else? My mom, your dad, Josh, Abby, our friends…"

"We'll figure something out." I say, "Don't worry about it."

At that moment, the sound of a door opening and closing echoes through the hallway into our room. Connie said she's pick up Abby and Josh from school… so that means everyone's home.

I turn to Sonny and grin, "There's not gonna be a better time then now."

Sonny shrugs with a smile. "What do you think they'll say?"

"Well," I say, "Connie's becoming a grandmother, Josh and Abby are gonna be aunts and uncles… I think they'll be fine."

"Okay then…" She beams in that adorable Sonny-way, "Let's do it!"

She takes my hand and leads me out into the hallway. We go down the stairs, hand-in-hand, and I'm suddenly a little nervous. Here we go…

"Mom?" Sonny says softly, and Connie looks over to us as we sit together on the couch. "We want to tell you something."

"What is it, sweetie?" Sonny pats the couch next to her, and Connie sits, Sonny grabbing her hands. She then sighs, exasperated, confused, and so I decide to take over.

"Um, see, we have some news…" I notice Josh and Abby, peering over Connie's shoulder, and try not to smirk. "See… well…" I fish around in my pocket and find the pregnancy test Sonny gave me. I hand it over to Connie, who looks down at it, puzzled, before breaking out into a grin.

"Sonny…" She breathes, "You're pregnant?"

Sonny nods, smiling secretively, before breaking out into that same grin as her mother. They hug each other tightly, squealing. Josh and Abby break into smiles and Abby jumps into my lap, laughing.

"You're gonna be a dad!" She squeaks, and I chuckle.

"Yup." I say, "And you're gonna be an auntie!"

Sonny pulls away from the hug from her mother and collapses onto my lap. Sonny and Abby are giggling on my lap, Connie is hugging me too, and even Josh has joined in with the group hug.

Gosh, it feels amazing to be part of a family once again.

* * *

A few hours later, after our family group hugs and calling everyone telling them our news; after hearing every congratulations, Sonny and I fall into each others arms, on our bed, and I rub Sonny's soon-to-be baby-bump with a smile. I suddenly remember the dream I had, all those years ago; where I had a little girl sat on my lap, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Rebecca.

Suddenly, Sonny's dreams don't seem so scary… they're another sign from my mom. I leave a sleeping Sonny and head out onto the balcony, looking up at the sky with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom." I say, "Thank you so much."

Right up in the sky, I see a blinking star. I never believed in all that "she's watching over you" stuff, but that star, my dream, Sonny's dreams; they all make me change my mind. I smile up into the sky, hoping my Mom knows I'm thinking of her, before closing the door and heading back to bed.

* * *

**Ta-daaa! So, there we go! Did you enjoy it?**

**And yus, Rebecca was the same baby girl as in Chad's dream... chapter 24 or something, I think? Pretty cool how it all fits into place, huh? ;)**

**Soo... please please review? Let's see if we can get even closer to that 600 reviews! Honestly, you guys really don't know what your reviews mean to me. Please do so! :D**

**Love you all so, so much! :D**

**~Amy x**


	54. Finally Zosh

**Hey, guys...**

***falls to knees and cries* I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! Honestly, I am! It's been DAYS since I updated this story (Heck, anything!) It's just, I've had rehearsals for my school's production, and homework, and something awful happened (more on that in a sec) so I just didn't feel like writing. But, I'm back on track now, I have recovered, and am ready to write!**

**I was, in fact, just hit with the fact that this is the third-to-last chapter of LWMS... and it suddenly made me feel empty. Honestly, if my mum's friend wasn't round, I would've broken down and cried. A little dramatic, but true. I am gonna freakin' miss this story, I truly will. I will miss EVERY. SINGLE. REVIEW I GET. I'll miss all of you, I'll miss Channy and Abby and Josh and everyone. I honestly will. I might cry on the last episode, no matter how fluffy I plan it's gonna be. **

**So, about this awful thing. I don't want to speak too much about it, but I lost an amazing reviewer, friend, and sister the other day, and it's really shaken me. I started crying, because I knew I'd miss this person until the day she returned. So this chapter is dedicated to her. She knows who she is, and when she comes back one day and reads this, I hope I make her smile when I say this-**

**I lo-c-ve ya dear! And miss you loads :'( Can't wait till you return. *heart***

**Okay, so, this chapter is pretty short, and you guys deserve better for such a long wait. However, it's a ZOSH CHAPTER! Yayness! Well, it has Zosh in it. And Abby. So I hope you guys enjoy it, no matter how long or short it is. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 54 - Finally Zosh **

Abby's POV **(OMG ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS! :D And just to tell you guys. Last chap was May-time, this chap is September. Ooh, and sorry if Abby isn't like an 8 year old. I haven't been eight for 6 years :P Okay, onwards!)**

The first day back at school goes quickly, which is a relief. Summer went way too quick… I was probably having too much fun with my family! Chad and Sonny were always hanging out with me when I wasn't with my friends from school. It's really nice that they're married – and Sonny is going to have a baby! I'll have a baby sister or brother! Well, kind of…

Even Josh spent some time with us during the summer, when he wasn't with his friends. Sometimes he'd bring Zora around. He said they're not going out, and they're just friends, but I think he's either lying, or too scared to ask her out… Ha ha. I may only be eight, but I can already tell that he likes her. I've seen how Chad and Sonny act around each other… I think the word is "flirty".

Me and my friend Terri are waiting outside the school. Josh is coming to pick me up, and her mom is coming to pick her up. I don't remember _my_ mom – I was only two or three when she died. But Chad says that she was a great woman, and that makes me happy.

But then, Sonny has been just like my Mom. Like Chad has been my daddy (Chaddy Daddy, ha ha :P). I haven't seen my real daddy for a few weeks, but maybe that's because he's with his new family. I don't mind. Our family is nice, whether he's in it all the time or not.

Terri's Mom arrives, leaving me alone for a few minutes. I see Ms Phipps, my teacher, stood by the school gates, and wander over to ask her the time. Ms Phipps checks her watch before smiling at me kindly.

"It's three forty-five." She says, and I groan. Josh is late, as usual. School finished twenty minutes ago!

"Is everything okay, Abby?" She asks me, looking at me over the rim of her glasses, and I nod. I like Ms Phipps, she's so nice.

"Yeah. My brother was meant to be picking me up, but he's late."

At that second, Josh's blue car that he borrowed from Chad pulls into the school gates, and I roll my eyes, say goodbye to Ms Phipps and jump in the back seat.

"Hey, lil' sis." Josh greets me, and I smile until I notice a person is sat next to him. Then I crack into a smirk.

"Hey, Zora." I say.

"Hi there, big girl." She says. Zora's got so much more grown up. I may have only been young when Sonny was on So Random with Zora, but I can remember slightly what she was like. She used to wear crazy clothes, and have her hair tied up in pigtails and plaits, like Sonny does in my hair every now and again. Now she looks… well, different! More like a grown-up girl! Well, she is eighteen now. Ugh. Old. Scary old…

"Your brother's taking me to see Sonny…" She explains, "Tawni, Sonny and I are gonna go out for the afternoon. We thought Sonny needed a little treat, considering she's pregnant and all…"

"Cool." I smile, before looking at my brother, who is looking happily at Zora, "Is Josh going too?"

Josh rolls his eyes and mimics gagging, and Zora just laughs. "No, its girl's night out." **(Let's go, GNO :P Couldn't resist.)**

"Oh…" I say, before smiling at her as sweetly as my eight-year-old body can, "Can _I _come?"

Zora laughs and ruffles my hair, "We'll see what Sonny and Tawni say, kiddo." She says.

* * *

We arrive home soon after, and the first thing I do is attack Sonny with a hug. I try not to hurt her though – her baby bump isn't hugely huge **(Couldn't resist xD) **yet; she is four (I think? May, June, July, August, September… yup. Four and a bit) months pregnant, and you can tell that she is bigger than she was. Sonny used to be really thin – she's very healthy. Chad says she's as beautiful as the day he met her, no matter how big she gets, which I think is cute.

"Hey, Abby-Babby!" She says (her nickname for me).

"Hi, Sonny-Bunny!" I reply (mine for her :)), and she laughs.

"How was school?" She asks, just as I see Chad walk into the room, smiling. He looks so happy, nowadays. He has for years. And if Chaddy, my big bro, is happy, then I'm happy too. Very, very happy.

"Good." I reply, sniffing in to smell the nice Sonny-smell. She smells like pretty flowers. Mmm… the Sonny smell. "I got the highest marks in the Math test, and Ms Phipps gave me a little chocolate bar for it!"

Sonny gasps, clapping for me, "You clever girl!" She says, "Let's see it!"

I put my hand in my pocket and pull out my almost-forgotten prize from Math earlier today that's probably melted by now, and Sonny gasps when she sees it.

"Well done, sweetie!" She says, "I'm super proud of you!" She then turns to Chaddy and giggles, "You're becoming even smarter than your big brother!"

"Ouch." Chad says, even though he's still smiling, "Grilled by my own wife. I'm hurt."

He then winks, which makes Sonny giggle while I just sit and watch. They're sweet, but ugh. Flirting. It's just… weird. Something only old people do.

Ick.

And then Chad walks over, and they kiss.

Double ick.

Luckily, someone knocks on the door, and Sonny pulls away from Chad to open it.

"I'm here! Where's my mini me?"

I know who that is straight away.

"Auntie Tawni!"

"Hey, cutie!" Tawni picks me up and spins me around, which she always does. She says it gets harder each time she sees me, because I'm getting bigger. Huh. Well, Chaddy can still do it just fine… maybe Chaddy's stronger. Haha :P

She puts me down as quickly as she picked me up, before looking into her handbag, "I brought you a little new piece from Abby Daze!" She coos, which makes me smile. Abby Daze is her clothes line, named after me which is super cool! It's for girls my age, and because Tawni owns the line and makes the clothes (well, she designs them. She says she has a whole team of people to help her make it… isn't that cool?), she gives me some of the clothes and jewellery and stuff. Chaddy doesn't like me wearing designer's coz he says it means I'm growing up too fast. Tawni just says it makes me her Mini Me. I don't think Chaddy likes that idea… ha ha ;)

Tawni finally finds what she was looking for, and gives it to me. It's a little charm bracelet, with different colored shiny stars as the charms.

"What do you think?" Tawni asks, putting the bracelet around my wrist and I grin.

"I love it!"

Tawni smiles and hugs me suddenly. "I knew you'd would!" She squeals, clapping. I laugh. Tawni's funny, in an awesome way. :P

"Ooh, goody." Chad says, walking over. I don't think he means it, though. Haha, my brother's so funny too. "More bling. Got any high heels for her, Hart?"

Tawni rolls her eyes before smiling sweetly at Chad. "Hey there, Cooper."

"Hey?" Sonny's laughs, "What about me? Have I gone invisible?"

Tawni gets up from next to me, and runs over to her bestest friend. Aw, they're such cool friends! :D

"Sonny!" She yells, attacking her with a hug, and Sonny jumps back and laughs.

"Is pregnant!" Sonny giggles, making Tawni pull away. She blushes and shrugs, before looking down at Sonny's baby bump.

"How's it going?" She asks, "The whole pregnant thing."

"I'm hanging in." Sonny shrugs, "It's really weird!"

"I'll bet." Tawni says, "Ready to go for girl's night?"

"When Zora comes in." Sonny says.

"Oh, she's in the car with Josh." I say, which makes everyone in the room laugh.

"Do you know what they're doing, sweetie?" Sonny asks me kindly, and I giggle.

"Kissing, probably."

Sonny grins, "That would be _so _cute! They make such an adorable couple." Then, she and Tawni break out into a, "Josh and Zora, sitting in a… car, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I watch Chad smirk at them, "Cute. But you forget," He points out, "They're _not _a couple. They've been in denial for years." He rolls his eyes, "I tell ya, he may be my bro, but he sure likes to take his time."

Sonny smirks, putting an arm on Chad's shoulder, "Well, look who's talkin'!"

Chad frowns, "What does that mean?" Sonny giggles.

"Relax, hubby." She says, before kissing him lightly on the cheek. I see Tawni pull a face.

"Please, there are children in the room!" She complains, which makes Sonny and Chad laugh.

"Yeah, Sonny, maybe we should leave Toddler Tawni alone so she can play with her designer toys." Chad says. "Seriously, are you still gonna be complaining about us when we're in retirement homes?"

"If it's lasted that long." Tawni says flatly. Not much is said after that, until Zora and Josh walk in the door. The moment Zora notices Sonny, she runs up and hugs her. Wow, everyone loves Sonny! :D

"If it isn't Mrs Cooper!" She squeals, "And Baby Cooper, of course."

Sonny giggles, "Ready to go?"

"Sorry guys," She says with a frown, "Had to cancel. I need to meet someone at the mall."

I'm sure I see Josh smile when she says this, but I ignore it. Probably Josh being, well, Josh.

Sonny frowns, "But it's girl's night!"

"Um…" Zora's eyes shoot around the room, before landing on me. She smiles, before walking over to me and putting an arm on my back, "Take Abby instead! She wanted to come, so…"

Tawni grins, "Yes _yes_ _YES_! She _has _to come! We can get you some more awesome outfits, Abby!"

I can't help but smile, even though I can see Chad roll his eyes out of the corner of my eye.

"Yippee." He drones.

Josh's POV

Sonny, Tawni and Abby leave for their "Girl's Night Out", and Zora waves them off before turning to me and smiling. She then watches Chad, who sighs and goes up the stairs, before looking back at me and grinning.

Great. We're alone.

"So, I'll see you in an hour or so, yeah?" She asks me, and I nod.

"I'll just find some way to escape from Chad's sight," I tell her, "Hopefully he'll be too busy mooning over Sonny's album to pay any attention to me."

Zora smirks, "You make him sound obsessed!"

"Not far off." I roll my eyes, "I'll find some way out, don't panic."

"Cool." She grins, "I'll see you later…" She then kisses me lightly on the cheek before shouting to Chad that she's going and leaving the house.

"Alright then…" Chad says, showing up at the staircase, "I suppose it's just you and me tonight, buddy!"

I rub the back of my neck, "Uh, yeah… all night long. Yippee."

Chad's raises an eyebrow, stares at me for a prolonged moment, and for a minute, I think I'm busted.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." I excuse myself, before leaving a confused Chad behind me. I can't help but laugh as I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He watches me, perplexed, before shaking his head and going back up the stairs. Okay, next stop – the mall.

Abby's POV

A few hours later, and it is 8 o'clock. Lucky it's a Friday – Chad and Sonny always like me in bed early on school nights. But then, I guess I'm not out here against anyone's will – I've got Tawni and Sonny, my auntie and my mummy, with me. I'm safe and sound with them, I guess! Right now, we're all sat outside the Starbucks, Tawni and Sonny with a coffee each, and I have a hot cocoa with marshmallows. Yummy. I'm sat next to Sonny, with Tawni opposite Sonny and the bags full of stuff we already bought opposite me. Tawni's bought me loads of cool clothes! I hope Chad doesn't mind…

Tawni and Sonny are talking, and Sonny has given me her phone to pass the time for me. I'm playing Angry Birds (SOOOO. ADDICTIVE!) when the phone vibrates.

"Ooh, must be Chad…" Sonny says, before asking me to pass her the phone back, which I do. She then answers the call, and surprise surprise, she smiles as soon as she hears the voice on the other end, "We'll be home soon, just getting a coffee. Chill. Huh? Oh… no, I haven't seen him. Did he say he was going out? …Uh-huh… Uh-huh… okay, sweetie, relax, I'm sure he's just out with his friends… he's eighteen, Chad, I don't think we need to worry about him anymore…"

Oh. Josh must've left without Chad knowing. Trust Chad to go all protective and worried at a time like this. Knowing Josh, he's just probably out with a friend or something.

"Okay Chad, I'll keep an eye out for him." Sonny is saying, "Alright. See you in a minute." She grins, "I wuve you too!" I laugh a little when Tawni rolls her eyes, and Sonny hangs up the phone. "Josh isn't home." She says, "I wonder where he is…"

I sigh, taking another sip of my cocoa, before out of the corner of my eye, I notice two familiar people.

Josh. And Zora. They're sat on the other side of the aisle, sat on a table outside some pretty restaurant, drinking, laughing.

"I think I've found him." I say, and Tawni and Sonny look where I'm looking to see Josh lean close to Zora and kiss her on the lips.

Wow. No denying it now. Those two are together.

How cute! :D

Sonny's POV

After Tawni and I saw Josh and Zora together, kissing, we knew what was going on. Heck, even Abby knew, and she's eight!

"They really are together…" Abby breathes, smiling. "That is so cool. Both of my brothers are with ex-Randoms! You're like… like Randoopers!" **(I got that once in a PM or a review or something once… I can't remember who I was talking to when they said it…) **

Randoopers… Randoms plus Coopers… actually, that's pretty cool.

So, after that, we finish our drinks and leave. We don't want to interrupt their little _date _(AGH! :D) no matter how adorable it is. Well, I do, but Tawni and Abby drag me away before I can _Sonny It Up _**(It's like a Shake It Up episode! xD)**. Ha. Some things never change.

* * *

It's ten o'clock when Josh gets home. Abby is already in bed, and me and Chad are snuggled on the sofa, watching TV.

"You disappeared, buddy." Chad says, without turning his head. I hear Josh groan. Ha ha, busted.

"Sorry…" Josh frowns, "I went out with a friend."

"More than a friend, by the looks of it." I pipe up, and both of them look at me with slight shock. Yeah, I didn't tell Chad about it. "I saw you, with Zora." I tell Josh, and he freezes, "And I saw you kiss her."

Chad gasps, before smirking, "Nice, dude! Finally decided to admit you like her?"

Josh rolls his head back, before shrugging, "Fine, yeah, I like her. And she likes me back."

"Awww!" I squeal, "So _cute!"_

"But please, Sonny…" He says, "_Don't _meddle this time."

"I second that." Chad says.

"Fine!" I raise my arms in surrender, and Josh smiles triumphantly, before heading upstairs to, presumably, his room. Chad and I watch him, before Chad kisses me gently on the cheek and rubs my baby bump softly. He grins, commenting that he can feel he or she kick (most likely a she though, if my Rebecca dreams are anything to go by), and I can't help but feel completely ecstatic.

Only a few months time, and we'll have our own child. It's too good to be true.

* * *

**Yeah, so, that was that! The official get-together of Zosh! *parties* So cute :D**

**Okay, so, I am on 566 (I think) reviews, and I still want to try and get that 600 reviews by the end of the story. So that means... 34 reviews in 3 chapters... think we can do it? LET'S TRY! :D**

**Love you all. And I just gotta say this...**

**Peace Out Suckahs and Regardless 4Ever! :D**

**Love you all.**

**~Amy x**


	55. The Birth

**Hey, guys! And I know, again, I haven't updated anything since, like, last Sunday, and haven't updated this since last month, but I had the excuse of school, and of course, the opera, which I now miss, oddly, coz back then I couldn't wait for it to finish...**

**Anyways, now, I have no excuses - Friday is my last day of school, and although my dad is planning on limiting my netbook time, I will still try to update as much as I can in that two and a half week period! :D**

**Now, I had mixed feelings about posting this chapter... honestly, penultimate chapter? It's hard. I really didn't want to write this - although it was one of the cutest EVER... it was hard coz I knew next chapter is the last... well, kind of. I have plans to write a Christmas one-shot spin-off, specially for the holidays! And I also have a couple of other RWCDC/LWMS spin-off ideas, that I'll post sooner or later... so, YAY! ;D**

**Right... sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin. And I know y'all are already super excited by the title of this chapter! ;P**

**I don't own Sonny with A Chance. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 55 - The Birth**

Chad's POV

Sonny's pregnancy is the most testing 9 months of our relationship.

The whole experience is scary. Sonny is always ill or angry or crying, and I always have to be there for her. It's tiring. It's worrying. It's scary.

But of course, I wouldn't change it for anything. I still love her more than anything in the world, and every day, I remind myself that I am one day closer to being a father to a little baby boy or girl. Something tells me though – it's going to be a girl. I can just feel it.

I'm not complaining. I can't wait to have a girl. Something tells me, she'll be as beautiful as her mother. If she has her mother's eyes… I swear, I'll fall in love all over again.

Finally, the due date arrives. **(*gasps and checks when Sonny actually conceived…*) **January 21st. I made sure I was free today, so I'm here if and _when_) Sonny's water breaks and she has to be taken to hospital. I've spent the last few months preparing myself for this very day – I didn't want to be one of those guys who passes out when the woman is giving birth. I want to actually be awake for the birth of my first child, thank you very much.

Right now, I'm tucking into some cereal while surfing Google about childbirth, avoiding the videos section. I don't think I wanna watch those…

I hear a shuffling around upstairs, and check my watch. It's 7:00am (I know… early for me). I should really get Abby and Josh up and ready for school…

Just as the thought crosses my mind, a little patter of footsteps taps its way down the stairs, and I walk out into the front hall to see Abby, stepping down each step clumsily, with her face down and her hair over her eyes. I wander over to her and cradle her in my arms, and when I hear a soft sneeze coming from her nose, I realise.

She's sick.

"Ch-Chaddy…" She mumbles, shivering like she's outside on a winter's night, and I cuddle her tightly, "I d-don't feel very w-well…" She sneezes, looking up at me with tired, teary eyes. I feel her forehead, and pull my hand back right away.

"Sweetie, you've got a temperature." I tell her, and her eyes brim with tears.

"I feel s-so c-cold…" She cries softly, weeping quietly into my shirt. I continue to hug her, stroking the back of her head as she coughs and sneezes, and I lead her back up to her room. There is no way I'm letting her go to school like this… she looks awful. Well, she still looks cute, but like a poisonous kind of beauty. She looks so ill, so weak.

Just as I reach Abby's room, with her bundled in my arms, a door down the hall swings open, and a large (yet still beautiful) Sonny Munroe-Cooper walks out, turns towards me, and looks at me with a tired smile. She possesses that same poisonous beauty – like a wilting rose, a wounded dove. I just can't wait for when she's finally given birth, and she looks like she did 9 months ago. Beautiful. Happy. Healthy. Hopefully she won't have that same weary, given-up look in her eyes.

"Hello there." She smiles, before she notices an almost-asleep Abby and gasps, "Is she okay?" She asks, dropping her voice level.

"She's not well." I whisper solemnly, "She's got a temperature… I won't send her into school today."

Sonny sighs, "Alright. Well, I'm gonna go down for some breakfast…"

"Oh, no, no, no…" I stop her, "You wait for me to put her back to bed… I'll get you some breakfast."

Sonny chuckles, "I may be pregnant, but I can still do things for myself."

"I know you can." I say with a wink, "It's just not very gentlemanly to make you do it."

Sonny smirks. "You are too good to me." She says, wandering over and kissing me lightly on the cheek. I blush a little, before kicking open Abby's door and placing her carefully back into her bed. I kiss her softly on the forehead before leaving the room, to where Sonny is waiting on the landing.

"M'lady…" I say, bowing and holding my hand out for her, and Sonny laughs and takes the hand, following me carefully down the stairs. I keep turning back to check if she's okay, trying to make sure she doesn't fall and hurt both herself and our baby. That would be disastrous.

Arriving in the kitchen, I seat Sonny like she's the Queen of England, before rooting around in the cupboard for some sort of breakfast for her. I begin to pour her some cereal, at which she squeaks a rejection. My eyes roll up to the ceiling… Sonny and her strange food cravings.

I offer Sonny a slice of toast as Josh wanders into the room, and when she rejects the poor slice with a sulk. Josh swipes the slice off her plate in a nano-second, shoots me a wink, and dashes out of the room.

"Ah, my brother…" I say, watching him, "The human trash can."

Sonny giggles like a little girl, before sneaking an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table. I fake a gasp.

"I thought you didn't like apples!" I say.

"I didn't…" She mumbles, before shyly looking down at her baby bump, "…Yesterday."

"Right…" I say, "Well, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Although, that expression isn't exactly helpful today…"

Sonny shakes her head. "In that case, I'mma put this back… need something unhealthy so that the doctor will come."

I smirk, "Sonny, Sonny, Sonny… you sure have some strange logic."

"Yes." She grins as she watches me grab the bacon from the fridge, "Yes, I do."

Sonny's POV

A few days pass, and the baby doesn't come. Chad stays with me every day, just in case I begin labour so he can take me to hospital. Eight days, we've been waiting. It's January 29th now; eight days since the due date, and I'm starting to worry. Has the baby died inside me? I would be so upset if it had… or maybe it's just not ready to leave?

Whatever's wrong, Chad can't hang around for it every day. This morning, he had to leave for an important meeting for some movie he's set to do in September, after the baby has been around for a while. So, because Chad can't be with me for if I go into labour, he's invited Tawni round to "Sonny-sit" me. I know. Weird.

Tawni's really taking extremely good care of me. She's been reading up on all this stuff, just like Chad has, ready for the day when I do finally go into labour. That is, _if _this damn baby ever plans on coming out.

"So…" Tawni says, walking into the living room **(Is that what Americans call it?) **with two cups of coffee in her hands. "How you feeling?"

"Huge." I say, making her almost choke on her coffee, "Bloated. I just want this kid outta me! It'll be so much nicer when I can actually hold her."

"Or him." She points out, but I shake my head. Ever since I had those dreams about "Rebecca"… I've just had a hunch that the baby will be a girl. A beautiful little girl… how amazing will that be? Imagining what she will look like, be like, grow up to be… so exciting! I'm carrying a life inside me… it's so perfect.

"Alright, I'll be right back…" Tawni says, "Need something to eat."

"Bring me something, would ya?" I ask her, and she nods and smiles, before walking into the kitchen. I watch her go, before feeling a pain in my chest. Contractions. They've been so frequent today… I'm getting scared.

And then… the worse bit comes.

Tawni's POV

I leave Sonny alone in the front room just to get a snack, and then hear her voice, soft and weak, before it builds up to a screams.

"Tawni!" She yells, "I need to go…"

"Go where?" I ask, my eyebrows creasing.

"Hospital!" She screams, "I think my waters have broken!"

Chad's POV

"Alright, Chad, thanks so much for your help…" The director of my next movie shakes my hand with a grin. "We'll send you the script soon, and start filming in September, to give you a chance to warm up to your baby and all…"

"Thanks." I say.

"Oh, and congratulations." He says, "I'm sure you and Sonny have a great future ahead with that baby."

"Thanks." I repeat, smiling him a goodbye before making my way out into the parking lot and into my car. Just as I put the seatbelt on, I feel a rumbling in my pocket, and fish my phone out to see I'm being called by Tawni.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Chad!" Tawni yells. I can hear the occasional scream in the background, and start to panic.

"What's going on? Is Sonny okay?"

"I'm with her, in the car," She says. I gasp.

"You're talking to me AND driving?"

"I…" Tawni sighs, "…might be…"

"Tawni, what the hell is going on?" I yell, and she sighs.

Sonny thinks she's going into labour… you need to get to the hospital right now!"

I suddenly feel numb. My grip loosens and the phone slips out of my hands and into my lap. I hear the faint sound of Tawni calling my name. I pick up my phone again, my hands shaking, "I'll be there as soon as I can." I tell her, before hearing my wife cry out, "Tell Sonny to stay strong for me."

"I will…" She says, before hanging up. I drop my phone back into my lap, before reaching for the steering wheel, my arms shaking, my heart thumping. The baby… is coming. My – our – baby is finally here…Those long, long months of waiting… now they're finally over.

She's coming. Rebecca is on her way.

* * *

I arrive at the local hospital about an hour later, rushing through the door. I notice the eyes in the room all turn to me, but ignore them and head straight for the front desk. I slam my palms down on the desk, in front of twenty-something red-haired woman who looks up at me, looking bored. Her face lights up when she sees me, but she tries to stay calm.

"I need to know the room that Sonny Cooper is staying in right _now_!" I demand. She raises an eyebrow at me, and I remember my manners.

"Sorry, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper." I say. She blushes a little, but I ignore it. "Sonny Cooper, she's my wife, and she's giving birth right now… I need to know what room she's in."

"Oh, let me check for you…" She says, turning to the computer and typing something in. "It's just loading…" She says nonchalantly, "By the way, for the record, I miss Mackenzie Falls sooo much."

I laugh, "Those were the good ol' days." I'm not lying. Those were the days I met Sonny, I messed with Sonny, I first dated Sonny… I wouldn't change a thing though. Our relationship is beautiful, special… there were a lot of bumps in the road, but we were meant to be together – nothing was to stop fate, in this case.

And now look at where we are.

"Okay…" The girl says, scanning the computer, "Sonny Cooper… in the Maternity Ward, Room 247b. Just follows the signs down…" She points to left, "…that way."

I thank her with a smile, which makes her grin. Huh, must be a fan.

* * *

I charge down the halls, eyes set on the signs above my head.

_Rooms 100-149a. _

_Rooms 350-399c._

_Childrens' Ward._

_Cafeteria._

Damn it, stupid signs! Where the hell is this stupid maternity ward? I grip my hair, letting a quiet, but angry yell, before taking a few deep breaths and looking round once more.

And there it is.

_Maternity Ward, Rooms 200-249b._

Thank God. **(Yes, he's being thankful. No blasphemy here)**

I follow the arrow pointed toward the ward, step through the doors, and there it is. Third room down the blue-green-painted hallway, a white-ish door. Room 247b. I hear a scream coming from it, and sigh.

Sonny's room.

Nico, Grady, Zora and Connie are sat outside on white plastic chairs, each with anxious looks on their faces. I pass them, open the door to the room, and bite my lip when I see my beautiful wife, lying on a bed, wearing some sort of sheet. Tawni is next to her, gripping her hand, telling her she can do it as she screams and shouts and pushes. All eyes turn to me, apart from Sonny's, who are up the ceiling as she continues to cry out.

The midwife (who I've met before), Melissa, takes my hands and tells me what to do as Tawni gets up and leaves the room. I sit in her seat, right next to Sonny, who turns her head and smiles gently.

"You're here." She breathes.

"Yeah…" I say, "There were… difficulties… but I wasn't gonna miss this for the world."

Sonny smiles – a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. And then, she begins to scream again. The doctor looks to me, gesturing for me to comfort her.

"It's okay, Sonny…" I say, taking her hand in mine, and she squeezes it with an incredible force. "I'm here, I've got you… just keep breathing… just think about what's gonna happen next. You, me, and our little baby girl. Or boy. Breathe, c'mon, Sonny… breathe…"

"You're… you're not… gonna leave… are you?" She asks between breaths and shrieks.

"Of course I'm not." I say, "I'm not leaving this room until this baby is born!"

"I love you." She mumbles, squeezing my hand tightly, and I squeeze it back.

"I love you too." I say, "So, _so_ much…"

Sonny laughs feebly, before the crying and yelling and screaming continues, for several minutes. And then, the miracle moment when the doctor comments that he can see the baby's head comes, and a few minutes later, a small crying figure wrapped in a little pink towel is placed in my wife's arms.

"Congratulations…" Dr Edmonds says, "…you've just got yourself a new baby girl!"

I look down at the bundle of life in Sonny's arms, and my heart does a back-flip. The little girl has sparkling blue eyes, and a few light-blonde hairs are poking up, sticky against her slightly-bloody head. She has my genetics for hair and eyes. But that's okay though – she's got Sonny's beautiful face. And I'm sure that sparkle in her eyes is Sonny's.

"Have you got an idea for a name?" Melissa asks with a smile.

"Rebecca." I say, before I realise the words slipped out of my mouth, when Sonny and I haven't even discussed it yet. But when I look down at Sonny, she's beaming.

"I was thinking the exact same thing." She whispers. Her gaze drops to the baby – Rebecca – who is now softly weeping, and giggles. "Want to hold her?" She asks me. I gasp, before a small ghost of a smile creeps onto my lips.

"I'd love to…" I turn to Dr Edmonds, "That is, if I'm allowed."

"Of course you are." The doctor says, "Just be very careful with her."

Sonny passes me Rebecca. I take her in my arms, taking care the whole time. She's so light, yet so heavy… like holding a little puppy. She's so fragile, so soft… it's hard to believe this moment has finally come. This is the first time I've held my baby girl…

She's _my _baby girl. My daughter. Rebecca Cooper.

And then, her eyes flicker a little, close, then open and look right up at me. And after, the most magical thing happens.

She smiles. A big, toothless grin. She giggles a little, babbling, and my heart skips a beat.

She sure has a mother's beautiful smile. Not to mention her irresistible charm.

"She's perfect…" I breathe, passing her warily back to Sonny, who has a shine in her eyes from the tears of joy that have yet to fall. There's a knock at the door, and Tawni pokes her head around the door, inquisitive.

"Is it okay to come in?" She asks. Sonny ushers her into the room with her right hand, her left keeping Rebecca steady as the baby lets her eyes flicker shut. Tawni enters, followed by Connie, Nico, Grady and Zora, who all tip-toe in carefully to not startle Rebecca, who seems to be having her first snooze. A smile creeps up onto each of their faces, and a universal "aww" wakes Rebecca, who's eyes flash open and dart around before resting on Sonny. Sonny giggles, gently rocking her in her arms, which makes Rebecca giggle again before her young, half-open eyes wander around the room. They land on each of her visitors, who wave and chuckle and say "hi" in a babyish way. Sonny passes Rebecca to Connie, who rocks her, humming the same song Sonny said she used to sing to her.

"She's so cute…" Grady is the first to say anything to us, and the others nod and make sounds of agreement as she's passes gently from one person to the next.

"What's her name?" Tawni asks as Zora hands her over.

"Rebecca." Sonny says with a proud smile, which earns a lot of "Aww"s and "How cute!" and "It's so fitting…"

Everyone stays for a few more minutes, cooing and grinning and falling over themselves at the new-born beauty, before Dr Edmonds says that we all have to leave, and that I have to come back tomorrow morning, to pick up Sonny and Rebecca. I take a picture of the mother and daughter together on my phone, to show Abby, because she asked me to do so, and save it as my wallpaper before leaving to get back home and get everything sorted for Rebecca's arrival home tomorrow.

* * *

The moment I get home, Abby dives at me and begs to see the picture (Obviously, she's healed from her cold last week). I show her my wallpaper on my phone and she pretty much dies of sweetness.

"She's so _CUTE_!" She coos. Even Josh agrees.

After that, we make our way to the spare room we've decorated in the last few days, for Rebecca. It's painted in a billion coats and shades of light pink, and a small cot that used to belong to Abby is placed in the corner, next to a pile of soft toys that Abby gave up for her little niece.

"I'm gonna be an auntie!" She says as we continue to sort the room, "This is soooo cool!"

I hang up a mobile that Sonny picked out, with little butterflies and stuff, above the cot as a finishing touch, before calling it a day and collapsing into bed, for my last official night without a baby in the house. And soon enough, the night is over, morning has come, and I have to get to the hospital to pick up my wife and our baby girl.

* * *

Now, I'm sat in the driver's seat, watching my wife kiss and cuddle our baby in her lap. And that means I'm driving very carefully, because if I were to crash this car I might be the cause of the death of my little child before she's even had a chance in the world.

"Will you loosen up?" Sonny looks up at me and laughs, "You look like you're gonna die if you get something wrong."

"Well, I might not…" I say darkly, looking at Rebecca with one wary eye, keeping the other solely on the road for any possible accidents, "…but _she_ might."

Sonny laughs, "C'mon, Chad, you've been driving for seven years now! You've got this in your stride. Just take a couple of deep breaths… don't close your eyes, though."

I click my tongue arrogantly, smirking a little, "No duh, Sherlock."

Sonny chuckles and rolls her eyes before Rebecca starts crying for the first time this whole journey and she has to calm her down. Luckily, she is a natural at stopping babies from crying (**sorry but here I just thought of Making Babies Cry xP) **and Rebecca is back to her toothless-smiling self.

Huh. She definitely is gonna be like her mother.

The second we step through the door, Rebecca curled up sleeping in Sonny's arms, my little tornado of a little sister storms through the kitchen door, Connie in tow. It looks like they were making something – cake, judging by the flour and cocoa powder coated over Abby's face. Yeah… she's never been an expert in the kitchen.

Abby drops the spoon of cocoa she was previously licking clean and races towards Sonny, clapping and squealing.

"I wanna say hi! I wanna say hi! I wanna say hi!" She chants, making Rebecca shuffle uncomfortably in Sonny's arms. Sonny hushes Abby, who stands perfectly still, like an obedient puppy.

"If you wanna say hi…" Sonny whispers, crouching down, "You'll have to stay _reeeaally _quiet, okay? So you don't wake her up."

Abby's face lights up and she nods, and I start to panic, out of fear that my overactive sister will drop my baby girl.

The second she gets to hold Rebecca, though, it's like she's a changed girl. Rebecca is placed gently into the excitable eight-year old's arms, and she stares down at her, still, like she's on a mission.

"She's so cute…" She mumbles, and Sonny giggles.

"You were like that, a while ago."

Abby's eyes light up as she watches the day-old girl in her arms yawn. "She's sleepy!"

"Well, then, maybe you should take her to bed!" Sonny grins. Oh, heck, no!

I skilfully snatch the baby from Abby's arms, smiling apologetically. "Why don't you go finish what you were doing with Auntie Connie, and I'll take Rebecca to bed. Say goodnight?"

Abby pouts, "It's only noon!"

"Actually…" Sonny cuts her short, "I need to feed her, so you guys stay down here, I'll feed her and put her to bed."

Finally relaxed that Rebecca isn't going to be dropped by my accident-prone sister, I hand her over to Sonny, who takes her upstairs to her room, followed by me. Sonny tells me to wait outside the room while she breastfeeds Rebecca, and I do so. I stand outside the room and just… think.

Then I hear Sonny cooing and squeaking and Rebecca makes a little babbling noise, and a grin creeps up onto my lips.

This is going to be… perfect.

Sonny's POV

"Why don't you go finish what you were doing with Auntie Connie," Chad tells Abby, gripping onto Rebecca for dear life, "and I'll take Rebecca to bed. Say goodnight?"

Abby pouts. I can tell she is already attached to her little niece. "It's only noon!" She complains. Chad bites his lip – I can tell he's scared Abby may accidentally hurt or drop Rebecca. Haha, the faith he has in his family is _warming_…

"Actually…" I interrupt them, finding Chad a loophole, "I need to feed her, so you guys stay down here, I'll feed her and put her to bed."

Abby shrugs and agrees, following Mom back into the kitchen. Chad is slightly more reluctant to leave Rebecca. He eagerly follows us up the stairs, and stands right outside the door while I breastfeed Rebecca.

It's quite a strange process, breastfeeding. Something I'll sure have to get used to. But hey, if it's what's best for my baby girl, it's what she gets.

After I've done, I invite Chad back into the room. He opens the door, barely letting it make a sound, shutting it quietly behind him.

"How is she?" He asks, looking down at the girl in my arms, whose eyes flicker shut.

"She's about to sleep, I think." I whisper, placing her carefully into her crib. It used to belong to Abby… it's so cute!

Chad comes up behind me, putting his arm around my back and stroking it. It feels so comforting…

"I was worried you wouldn't show up…" I confess, biting my lip, "When I was in the hospital… I was really scared, and just wanted you there with me."

Chad smiles sadly, "Well, hey, I arrived, didn't I?"

"You did." I giggle, rested my head into his chest, "And for that, I'm glad."

He looks down into the crib and his face lights up, and I know how he feels. We're finally a family. A real one – with a child.

It feels special. It feels right.

It is meant to be.

"I love you." I hear him say.

"I love you too."

* * *

**:) Well, I hope nothing there made anyone uncomfortable - the breastfeeding or the birth or anything... I guess most of us may go through it, someday...**

**Plus, I've never done either of those things (*snort* obviously...) so, they're probably not accurate, but oh well ;D I just hope it was FLUFFY enough for you all! :D**

**REVIEW PLEASE! :D**

**Love you all xox**

**~Amy x**


	56. AN PLEASE READ

**A/N: Heh. Um, hey guys. Firstly, I apologise for how long this is taking for me to upload the final episode. I know – I'm a bad updater :P But hey, I have something really important to say...**

**I just got a review from k.98'PeaceOutSuckas, like, literally a few minutes ago. And she was asking for me to make LWMS a smitch longer. So, I starting thinking, and I think I got a bit of an idea.**

**So here's the deal, for Argie and any other fans:**

**Up to 5 more chapters. Which would mean 60 overall. I have ideas for two or three, at least, at the moment, so if you guys have any ideas for chapters, please let me know. Believe me, if I could, I'd make LWMS a million chapters long. I'm just running out of ideas. So, here's my plan:**

**You guys help me with a few ideas, and I'll try to get LWMS up to 60 chapters. And then chapter 60 will be the final chapter, because I have started The Double Life of CDC and I have so many other stories that I'm working on, plus school and other stuff.**

**Now, warnings about these final chapters – they may not be as good. They may not be as long. I will try my absolute hardest, because you guys deserve it for getting me to 600 reviews and being just completely beautiful and amazing people. I just love you all so much… and, to be honest, I don't want to see the back of LWMS either!**

**So, there you go. We got a deal? Review with any answers/ideas! Thanks so much. Love you all so very much. x **

**~Amy x who adores you x**


	57. Ran Out of Luck

**A/N: Heyyyyyy! It's finally back! I've kicked my butt into shape and finally finished this chapter! :D **

**I have decided, since it's taken me ages to update anything, that I will try and get Double Life up today as well, coz the chapter is almost finished, so keep an eye out for that too! :D This would've been up last night, but I went to watch the newest Pirates of The Carribean, so sorry... but hey! It's up now :D**

**So, here it is, folks - the beginning of the end. We're in those last 5 chapters I promised... hey, at least it's not the final chapter, right? ;D **

**Thank you all for your reviews and stuff - you got me all to 600 reviews! I wonder if we can make it to 700 by the end... (I'm SOOOOOO greedy ;D)**

**Shout-out to BeingHannah923, for her inspiration and help in talking to me for most of the afternoon yesterday - it was GREAT! :D If it wasn't for you, sweetie, this wouldn't be ready today. So LOVE YOU! **

**I think we should ALL thank k.98'PeaceOutSuckas, because it's thanks to her that this story has been extended! :D **

**Okay, grab your tissues, people! We have a sad chap lined up... and it's quite short too... I'll do better next time, promise! **

**I don't own SWAC, now let's get this started before the A/N becomes longer than the chap! ;D**

* * *

**Chapter 56 - Ran Out of Luck**

Sonny's POV

Life has changed. It does that – it has its ups and its downs; it's that roller coaster that sends you on such a crazy world, and every turn has a new experience, challenge, which you have to conquer.

And that's exactly what life has done to Chad and I.

Back when it was just me and Chad on our own, we'd wake up when we wanted, or when we had to go to work. We'd watch movies and go out for pizza and just relax. Even when we were first married, nothing really changed. Even though I was pregnant… everything was just normal. Just the way we liked it.

But now… everything is different. But in an equally perfect way.

I wake up one sunny morning to the soft crying of a small, young voice. Rebecca, of course. I turn over in the bed, moaning, to see Chad, the brilliant father he is, already on it. He rubs his eyes, dragging the duvet off of him. He sits up, wobbling slightly (he's probably still really tired… Rebecca woke us both up a lot last night), and walks towards the door, still rubbing the dust out of his eyes.

"I wonder what she wants this time." I mumble as he puts his hand on the doorknob, and he turns around and smiles at me tiredly.

"Mmm." He mutters, shaking his head slowly, "Good morning, by the way." He says, "Are you _two_ okay?"

I gaze down at my tummy, where a small bump has formed. Yes, that's right – I'm pregnant again. 12 weeks – I'm going for my first scan later this morning! Chad and I are so excited… Rebecca will have a little baby brother or sister!

"We're both fine." I tell him, watching the smile on his face grow. He's just as excited as me about our new baby – he's a natural father. Very protective also – he seems to know exactly when and what's wrong with Rebecca. It's like she has a connection to him – it's adorable. When the second baby comes along, I'm sure he'll be ready for it. Well, he is Chad Dylan Cooper. And he's proved to the world that, he's not only the greatest actor of his generation. He's he greatest father too.

"Brilliant." He says. He walks over to me, leaning over and kissing me softly on the cheek, and I blush bright red like I used to when we were teenagers. His slight morning stubble scratches my face, something I've got more and more used to now that we're no longer teens.

"My beautiful lady…" He whispers into my hair, his blonde locks tickling my cheek. He kisses my cheek once more before looking right down at my face, and I get lost in his bright blue eyes. Suddenly, Rebecca lets out a wail from next door and we're brought back out into the real world. Chad jumps up straight again, and speed-walks out of the door, into Becca's room next door. I watch him, smiling sheepishly.

We live in our own house now – me, Chad and Rebecca. It's back in the old neighbourhood I used to live in when Mom and I first moved to Cali – only it's a 2 storey house rather than an apartment. Mom lives just down the road. Abby lives with Chris and Melanie now, who were missing Sara who moved to New Jersey with her boyfriend a couple of years ago, and so Abby was happy to move in and become the child in the house. At least she's close to her Dad again. Oh, and Josh now lives with Zora in their own apartment on the other side of Hollywood.

It's nice, where we live now – just the three of us (four of us, in a few months). Plus, Chad and I are usually both around the house – we only do the odd movie or guest appearance here and there. We're going to focus on raising our two (or maybe three) little babies, and maybe in a few years when they're all old enough for a day-care centre, we'll go back to full-time acting. We'll see what time brings, I guess. Right now, I'm fine with my family, and I think Chad is too.

A few minutes later, Chad steps through the doorway with Rebecca in his arms.

"You see Mommy?" He asks her. Her head darts around; she's eager to see me, and I giggle and get up, right in front of her, waving at her. Her eyes fix on me and she giggles, babbling and reaching out for me. Chad places her down on the floor and she looks around, her eyes wide open, before gazing right back at me with that same adorable smile.

"Go to Mommy, yeah?" Chad babbles to her, and, after a few seconds of wide-eyed stares, Rebecca crawls over, on her hands and knees, smiling a big smile, her mouth half-filled with her baby teeth. It's hard to believe I used to be like this, right back in the beginning… it almost makes me want to cry.

I pick my little girl up and swing her around, making her scream and laugh and babble and squeak. Her blue eyes are just like her father's – so sparkly – and her blonde hair is now fully covering her scalp. She is almost one year old. Her birthday is tomorrow… and I'm so excited! It's just… all going so fast… she'll be a teenager sooner than I realise, and then she'll be moving out…

I laugh to myself. I sound just like my mother used to. But still – Mom told me many times (whilst bursting into tears) that I had to make sure I cherished the moments like these. So, that's what I'm doing.

A few minutes later, we go downstairs for breakfast. It's about eight o'clock, but that's okay – my baby scan is at 9:30, and it's best that I'm ready for it. Best be early than late…

I make breakfast, including a baby's yogurt for Rebecca, while Chad plays peek-a-boo with her. It's her favourite game – it was mine when I was a baby too, according to my Mom. What I find hilarious, though, is how much into the game Chad gets. Ha. He's still a child at heart… which makes him that much more amazing at caring for Rebecca.

An hour or so later, Chad and I are ready to go. The doorbell sounds and I open the door to Mom, who's taking care of Rebecca while we go, and Chad and I are out of there.

Next stop – hospital, to get a look at our new baby for the very first time.

Chad's POV

I keep an eye on my wife the whole way to the hospital. Both times she's been pregnant, I don't know… I've just been much more protective. And _that's_ saying something…

We approach the hospital, and the butterflies in my stomach grow. My heart pounds and I bite my lip, silently praying to myself that nothing will go wrong. I park the car and get out of it, opening the door for Sonny and leading her into the lobby. She finds the water fountain immediately – she was told it was important for her to drink lots before the scan so we can see the picture easier. Sonny wants to be sure we can see our little baby perfectly.

I walk up to the reception desk, where a mid-twenties redhead is sat, eyes fixed on the computer. She seems to sense me arrive and looks up at me with a friendly smile, and then her mouth drops open.

"You're Chad Dylan Cooper!" She squeals. I nod, hoping to not draw too much attention to myself. I'm only here to see my new baby, not to sign autographs. As much as I love my fans and slightly miss them, I love my family more.

"I am." I say to her with my good ol' signature smile.

"I _loved _Mackenzie Falls as a teen!" She grins, "It was, like, my favourite show!"

I smirk. People still remember Mackenzie Falls? Well, that's awesome. I would've probably forgotten about it if it wasn't for the fact that I met Sonny back at Condor Studios. My life would be a mess if I hadn't met Sonny at Condor Studios. Heck… I might not even be alive. Sonny saved me from the hell that was my life. Sonny… she saved my life.

"I'm glad to hear that." I say, "Um, I'm here for an ultrasound baby scan for my wife, Sonny Cooper?"

She grins and there's a shimmer in her green eyes. I've seen that shimmer before. Ah, so she's a _Channy_ fan…

"Lemme find that for ya…" She types something on the keyboard as Sonny walks up with her little plastic cup of water.

"This is the wife?" She says with a knowing smile, not looking up from the computer screen.

"Yup." I say, hugging Sonny softly. She chuckles happily and the redhead smiles and tells us which room to head to.

* * *

We arrive at the room to see Dr Edmonds – the same doctor who helped Sonny give birth to Rebecca. After the greetings, he gives Sonny a robe to change into, and she does so (of course, behind a curtain), and then she lies on the bed, takes a deep breath, and grips on to my arm, holding it tight. Dr Edmonds spreads the jelly-like substance over Sonny's belly and she looks up at me and grins.

"Here's it comes." She whispers, as the doctor turns on the screen and hovers the machine over her abdomen. Slowly the image appears on the screen, and Sonny squeezes my hand tightly, grinning at the screen. Her face falls slightly when she sees the image.

"It doesn't look right." She says softly. I look down at her, confused, but she seems determined that the image of her baby has something wrong with it. "It doesn't look the same as it did when we had it with Rebecca."

I laugh a small laugh, confused, "Sure?" She nods. "Every baby is different, Sonny."

Sonny looks up at the doctor, as if asking for back-up, and he looks at the screen and frowns. That confirms Sonny's worry – she tenses up, and grips my hand even tighter. I start to worry now too – maybe Sonny's right. Maybe something is wrong…

"Sonny is correct." The doctor says. That small sentence stops my heart. All I can hear is his next words, and my thumping heartbeat, "Let me just… check for the…" He trails off into silence, before shaking his head solemnly. "I'm sorry." He says, "It seems the baby hasn't made it."

…

Everything happens so quickly after that. I shake my head, my heart racing, my brain malfunctioning. I try to tell myself those words did _not_ just come from his mouth. But they did. There's no way I imagined those words… not even my own cruel mind would play that kind of trick on me.

I look down at Sonny, my poor, poor wife. She is motionless, staring at the screen. Her lips are parted; her eyes are welling up with tears. She looks defeated, destroyed, devastated. Well, I don't blame her.

We've lost our child. Before he or she has even been born.

* * *

About an hour later, I'm sat in a hallway, just waiting, thinking, watching the door in case the doctor comes out to speak to me. I just can't believe what has happened to her… to _us_. **(Hey, Hannah… motivation huggy bear! :D)**

I still can't accept that it's really happened… I still can't fully believed that Sonny and I have really lost our second child. Our baby boy, or girl… has just been taken from us. The poor thing didn't even get a chance at life.

Why did it have to happen? Why did our child have to be snatched away from us… and in this way, of all ways? Before we'd even got to see his or her perfect face… before we got to hear it's first words, see it's first steps; before I'd been able to hold the child in my arms and say it was mine. My baby son or daughter.

Just… why did it have to happen, of all people, to Sonny and I? We're good people, right? We treat Rebecca right, don't we? We feed her and clothe her and bathe her, and she seems to fully enjoy life. She seems to love us – we can tell that, even though she's only a baby we can still see that Rebecca loves us just as much as we love her, so why did this happen? It's not like we're bad people and don't deserve another baby, is it? Why was it that the baby placed right in our hands to be yanked out of our reach when we were so, so close?

I'm sat outside the room Sonny's in, where she's having the baby extracted **(I think that's the right word…)**. After an excruciatingly long wait, Sonny walks out, a young woman is leading her out. She hands Sonny to me like a damaged parcel, and when my fragile wife looks up at me, I can tell she's just been to hell and back. Her usually-sparkling brown eyes are red and puffy, that beautiful smile has fled from her face, and she looks like she could sleep for a decade.

"Get her home." The woman (presumably the nurse) says, "Make sure she doesn't drive for the next twenty-four hours – we gave her painkillers, but she also asked for Gas to take away the pain so she might be a little drowsy. Just let her sleep for a bit when you get home."

I nod, holding onto Sonny like she'll fall apart if I don't, and I lead her out of the hospital and back to our car. As we reach the doorway, she mumbles something to herself, and I look at her with sympathy.

"You okay, honey?" I ask. She just simply shakes her head.

"I'm tired."

I pick her up, bridal style, and carry her for the rest of the way. Usually she would've protested – she thinks it draws too much attention to us – but right now, she's lying in my arms, drifting in and out of consciousness. Her eyes are half-closed, but she's still gazing up at me, a sad smile across her face.

"I love you." She says softly. Then the fragile smile breaks and she breaks with it. She cries into my shirt, and I have to try really hard not to cry along with her.

I place her in the passenger seat when we reach my car, and she falls asleep almost instantaneously, her lashes damp from where she had been crying. We drive in silence, mostly because Sonny is asleep for most of the ride, but in the last few minutes she is awake and I try to keep myself from saying anything in case I upset her. She looks at me, occasionally, but most of the time her eyes stay solely focused on the road in front. She has that watery look in her eye that warns me that she's going to cry any second now, and I bite my lip to keep my own tears in.

It hurts so much to see my Sonny cry.

When we get home, I carry (I do mean _carry)_ Sonny straight up to our room. I place her carefully in the bed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles at me softly, her eyelids half-closed, before her eyes flutter shut and she slips into a calm, peaceful sleep. I stroke her face; her beautiful, _beautiful_ face, and she smiles in her slumber. Her face is damp, particularly the area around her eyes. I kiss her on the nose, before hearing footsteps behind me. I turn around to see Connie, holding my baby girl in one hand, with her other hand on the door handle.

"How did it go?" She asks calmly, walking to the center of the room and settling Rebecca down on the bed next to Sonny. My little girl plays with her mother's hair, and I laugh. It sounds like a really empty laugh though. Connie frowns as a lonely tear escapes my eye. And then she hugs me. A soft, welcomingly, comforting hug.

"The baby had died." I manage to say, though my voice squeaks a little at the beginning, and she sighs mournfully.

"I'm so sorry, Chad…" She says.

"Why did it have to happen…?" I mumble out, "…Why to us?"

"Shh…" Connie murmurs into my hair, comforting me like a mother would for her son. It feels right – I guess I'm used to Connie being my "mother" (in law). She's a great mom, that's for sure.

She's strokes my back reassuringly, like I'm a sobbing child (well, she's right about one thing…), muttering words of comfort into my ear.

"It's ok…" She says, "Everything's gonna be alright… shh, now, honey… everything will be fine."

I believe her on that. I really do.

* * *

A few hours later, the rest of the afternoon has past by. Sonny, my poor, poor wife, spent the whole afternoon upstairs, in bed. I brought up her lunch at about one o'clock, and she was still sleeping, her cheek damp and a sorrowful expression on her face. I hoped she wasn't dreaming about what had happened that morning – Sonny was a very graphic dreamer, and everything she dreamt about got to her, whether it was good… or not so good.

Dinner time was a different story. I brought that up at about six – a light dinner. The staff at the hospital had told me it wasn't best to give her too much food. For her lunch, I'd only brought her a couple of pieces of fruit. Her dinner was a cheese and tomato sandwich – her favourite kind. Her eyes were half-open, and she was reading a book. She put it down when she saw me, and her curious eyes followed me across the room. She was smiling – a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. I could still tell she was hurting though – something in her eyes told me that. She didn't have that regular shimmer – she'd lost that the moment Dr Edmonds told us, in a few words, that we wouldn't be having that second baby.

Now, it's eleven at night. I put Rebecca into bed about four hours ago, and she's slept really well, which is a relief, considering how often she woke Sonny and I up last night. Connie went home about that time, which left me to sit alone in the family room, pondering on what had happened, before I got lost in my thoughts and decided that my mind needed rest. It's Rebecca's first birthday tomorrow – I want to be wide-awake and happy for my baby girl.

Of course, my beautiful, beautiful wife is awake when I walk in. She's cuddling a picture of me, her and Rebecca, fresh tears trickling down her face. I almost break and cry along with her. I get in bed, putting my arms around her. At my touch, her tense shoulders loosen a little, and she snuggles her head into my chest.

After a few seconds of pure silence, she shuffles around in my arms, trying to find a comfortable position. "I love you." She whispers.

I smile softly, "I love you too."

"And I need you." She adds.

"What's wrong sweetie?" I ask, even though it's blindingly obvious.

"We've ran out of luck." She says, "The baby's gone. We're not gonna have our second baby…"

"We can try again." I tell her. She just sighs solemnly.

"What if it doesn't work?" She sobs.

I shrug. What am I supposed to tell her? It will work? What if I'm wrong? "We'll find out." I say, "But it never hurts to try… and besides, if we don't succeed… it'll be okay. I'll still love you, and Rebecca, and everything will be fine. I promise."

I watch the happy smile on her face. Her eyes are still glassy and sad, but her smile tells me that she's okay. We'll get over this. Together, like we always do.

I feel Sonny relax in my arms, snuggle into my chest, and I laugh. Slowly, we fall into unconsciousness in each other's arms…

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, so that was that... Poor Channy, huh? :'(**

**Next chapter will be a lot happier, promise. You wanna know why? Coz it's REBECCA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY! *party blower* Yup. That was gonna be part of this chapter but I thought it was time to just update already. So that chap will be coming soon (hopefully sooner than last time...)**

**So, what did you think? It would be great if you were to review! If ya review, I'll update quicker. Deal? Coolio. **

**Let's do this! :D**

**~Amy x**


	58. Rebecca's First Birthday Part I

**A/N: Hello my beautiful, beautiful readers! I love you all for all your reviews and stuff! They really make me smile!**

**I'm glad y'all liked the last chap, even if it was sad. Well, I promised a happier chap... That's half right. The first couple of pages are pretty sad, but we'll see. Just Chad being an idiot, which is always fun :P**

**k.98'PeaceOutSuckas - Honestly, honey, you're just lovely. Locve ya and all your crazy review attempts!**

**This chap is dedicated to my lovely FF sisters k.98'PeaceOutSuckas, TheSarahStar and BeingHannah923, for their birthdays were ever so recent! I was gonna write a one-shot for you guys, but gah! I have no time... *facepalm*. So you can have this chap as your late presents! **

**WARNING: Chad being an idiot :P**

* * *

**Chapter 57 - Rebecca's First Birthday (Part 1)**

Sonny's POV

That night is… hard. I won't lie. It's hard. After sleeping all afternoon, I find it difficult to doze off again. I spend most of it tossing and turning, which gives me time to let my mind wander. I watch Chad for a little, laughing quietly as he mumbles incomprehensible things in his sleep. He's so funny, in his sleep. I wonder what he's dreaming about…

"No… The baby can't be gone…" He murmurs, and my heart sinks. Well, that answers that. And then, my mind wanders down less pleasant avenues… the topic of the loss of our child.

I just can't believe that this had to happen… I mean, I know things have to happen for a reason, but what exactly was the reason for taking away a little baby's life before it had even had the chance to live it? How can that exactly be justified? Maybe it just wasn't ready? Or maybe it was a warning to Chad and I that _we _weren't ready? That we're not supposed to have a second child… or, not now, anyway. Whatever the reason, it still can't be fully forgivable at the cost of a child's life.

It makes me feel like… like crap. It makes me feel almost like my body has murdered this baby. It makes me feel like I've failed – I couldn't deliver a second child to my family. To my husband. That's the biggest disappointment of them all.

It's Chad I feel the worse for, not myself. Chad was so, so ready for that second child, I know he was. And I know he's trying to be brave for me, but I can tell that he's hurting too. The look in his eye earlier, while he stroke my head and tried to smile, gave that away.

I don't blame him.

This is _our _child who has gone. Not anyone else's.

Ours.

If it was another couple who had lost their unborn son or daughter, I'd fuss and sigh and apologise for their loss. I'd write cards and come for a visit and hug the mother and speak to the father and try to help them get through it. Somehow problems are always so much harder to face when you're the one facing them.

The hours pass and I get weaker and weaker, but I'm still unable to sleep. Is that another thing I fail at? Sleeping? I know I'm being melodramatic, but I just feel like I'm failing at everything today…

I hope I don't make a mess of my daughter's birthday tomorrow too…

Chad is still sleeping, but it doesn't seem like a peaceful sleep. He's tossing and turning, mumbling things in his dreams. It's not pretty, like it was before. It's got worse. He keeps saying my name, which, although lovely, is also slightly worrying. He's not saying it because he's happy. My guess – he's having nightmares.

Hating to see him hurting, I take his hand in mine and stroke it soothingly, intertwining our fingers.

"Shh, Chad…" I whisper carefully, "Shh, it's okay, Chad… please stop…"

He doesn't stop though. He just continues moaning. It would be cute if it wasn't for the fact that this moaning is not the happy sort. I continue to massage his palm with my fingers, stroking them up and down. His tense hand loosens a little, and when I look up at his face I see his eyes are wide open.

"Chad?" I say.

He doesn't reply.

He gets out of bed, walking towards the opposite wall of where the bed is. I watch him with curiosity, leaning up slightly in bed.

"Chad?" I say again, "Honey?"

He still doesn't reply, so I just assume he's sleepwalking. Ugh… I don't know what to do when someone sleepwalks… I'm the one who does so usually, not him. Maybe the stress has got to him and made him do sleepwalk? That's usually why I sleepwalk… but still, what do I do?

I watch him curiously as he pauses at the wall, facing it, before he shakes his head slowly. He then rests his left palm against the wall, and balls his hand into a fist. It's only now when I realise his intention.

"Chad!" I whisper-yell, climbing out of bed and running towards him. But I'm not fast enough. He makes a loud grunting noise as his fist collides with the wall, making a crunching sound. The noise makes me feel sick.

"Chad, stop!" I yell as he continues to punch the wall, harder and harder each time. I grab his arm and pull him away from the wall. I grab his two hands into mine, forcing him to face me. The look on his face is furious.

"Chad, honey, you're sleepwalking." I say carefully, as to not shock him out of his sleep, "Wake up, wake up…"

He pushes me off, facing the wall again and giving it one more whack. It takes everything I have not to yell at him.

"I'm _not _sleepwalking." He says in a low grumble. It sends a chilling shiver down the back of my spine. He punches the wall again, this time moaning in pain. He grits his teeth and forces his eyes closed, resting his forehead against the wall.

"Chad!" I scream. I take his right hand and examine the back of it. A large, purple bruise has formed on his knuckles, and I sigh in relief that there's no blood.

I take his hands tightly and force him to look at me. He closes his eyes, refusing to make contact. I squeeze his hands, and he winces in pain, so I loosen my grip a little.

"Chad, listen to me, just for a second." I say, my voice quivering, "I'm gonna go get the first aid kit, stay here, and _don't _hurt yourself again. _Please_."

He seems to break at that last word. His hands fall to his sides, and he stares down at the floor, disgraced with himself. I almost feel bad for him, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm also terrified that he's about to do something very, very stupid.

Chad being Chad, he doesn't disappoint.

He turns back to face the wall, rests both of his palms against it, and tilts his head back.

Oh no… he wouldn't.

Apparently he would.

He sends his head flying forward with a great force towards the wall, and I gasp and gag as I watch thick, red blood trickle down out of his nose.

I run out of the room, down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the first aid kit is sat in the cabinet. I know it's probably not the best idea to leave Chad alone when he's purposely harming himself, but I can't just watch helplessly as he beats himself into unconsciousness. I run back into the room, silently praying we haven't woken Rebecca up as I pass her room.

The sight of Chad breaks my heart.

He has abandoned his standing position, to my relief, and is sat with his head resting against the wall; his legs sprawled out in front of him. He looks up at me with pleading eyes, and I gulp. I sit next to him, handing him a tissue and telling him to pinch his nose with it. He does so while I bandage his bruised fist. We sit in silence, for the most part, before he pulls the tissue away from his nose and closes his eyes, bowing his head shamefully.

"How are you feeling?" I say. My voice is soft, hoarse. I sound so scared, and regret it. I really hope Chad doesn't notice that he's frightened me. That'll just make everything worse. He doesn't say anything though, so I take his un-bandaged hand in mine and stroke it soothingly. He takes a deep breath, before weakly turning to face me. The blood stain that has dried around his mouth and on his cheek, the bandage masking the bruise on his hand, the small cut on his lip from where he bit it… he looks like a character from a horror movie. I wince.

"I'm an idiot." He gasps. His words are barely a whisper. I squeeze his hand.

"You're _not _an idiot." I say. He growls.

"Sonny, look at me." His voice cracks, "I'm a pathetic man that's falling apart. I feel like I've failed you…"

"If this is about the baby…" I interrupt carefully. I don't want him to break down, "…you have to listen to me, losing that baby was not your fault."

"I'm such a mess…" He whispers, raking a hand through his blonde hair, which, due to the nightmare he was suffering through, has been messed up completely. "I'm a horrible husband, a horrible dad…"

"You're _neither _of those things." I say, more forcefully this time. He smiles sadly.

"Then why…" His smile falls and his voice cracks again, "Why did our child get taken from us?"

I swallow hard as the first tear shows up in his crystal blue eyes and trickles down his cheek. "I've been asking myself that question since it happened…" I tell him honestly.

He shakes his head, muttering quietly to himself, "I'm so weak… thinking about myself when really _you're_ the one suffering in this situation! Instead I have the nerve to just…" He trails off into silence, bashing the back of his head against the wall one last time, before he sighs resentfully and squeezes my hand which is currently holding his. He traces the lines on the palm of my hand, concentrating solely on my eyes. He looks a little better now – a smile has pretty much returned to his face, and he looks less pale, less angry. His smile is only small and tired, but it's still a smile, and that's good enough for me. I'll take whatever I can get.

"We'll get through this." He reassures me, but really I think he's trying to reassure himself, "Like I said earlier…"

"We'll try again." I continue as he trails off, "Everything will be fine."

He smiles, this time a real smile, a full smile. "We'll get through it." He repeats.

I smile a he plants his lips on my forehead, and nestle my head into his chest. He puts his arm around me and I close my eyes, falling into sleep.

"We always do." I tell him as we both fade slowly into a deep slumber…

Chad's POV

I am woken on the morning of Rebecca's birthday by the birthday girl herself. Oh, joy. I rub my eyes, trying to adjust myself to the daylight, and when my vision is finally clear I see that I'm still on the floor, in the same position as I was last night, with a sleeping, snoring Sonny in my arms. I chuckle, reaching for a pillow off the edge of our bed (Sonny likes putting random pillows there. Like, um, every wife I know) and placing it under her head in place of my chest. I leave her alone to go see to Rebecca.

I broke down last night. Big time.

I was being stupid, I know. But my mind was messing with me again, giving me nightmares about how we'd lost a child. I know, I know… loads of people go through this kind of thing. My Mom went through it 3 times – once before she had me, and twice after Josh, before Abby.

I just hope this is the _last _time for me and Sonny. We just love each other too much, and it feels like we've failed. I mean, sure, we're both okay now, I think, after last night. But the hurt is still there, maybe even only a little.

Oh well. Sonny and I are still strong. Maybe this will even make us stronger… who knows?

I make my way into Rebecca's room, picking her up. She's grown so much in that one year since I first got to hold her and tell the world she was my baby girl. She's a bit heavier now, but she's still as precious and as perfect as ever. Her blues eyes, which are just like mine, are open wide, and I chuckle as she notices my presence.

"Da da…" She babbles sleepily. I remember the day she first said that… it was one of the happiest days ever. The moment when your first child says its first words and they happen to be aimed at you? It's priceless, I tell you. "Hungee." She adds, rubbing her left eye with her little hand. I chuckle.

"Hey, baby girl." I coo, "Happy birthday… you're hungry, yeah?"

"Yessssss." She says slowly, stressing every letter. It's so damn adorable.

"C'mon, then," I say, "Let's go see Mommy."

"Ma ma." She gabbles, chewing contently on her thumb.

"Look who it is!" I sing, stepping through the door to mine and Sonny's room. She has woken up, luckily – I almost forgot that only minutes ago, she was fast asleep on the floor. Now, she is up, sat on our bed, fluffing the pillows casually. She has moved the pillow that I placed under her head, but the first aid kit is still sat neatly on the floor where it was used last night. I wince at the memory.

"Hey!" Sonny grins, taking Rebecca from me and cuddling her to her chest. "How are you, my little birthday girl?"

"Ma ma!" Rebecca mumbles, which lights up Sonny's tired face. I guess taking care of my little rampage last night tuckered her out… whoops…

"She's hungry." I inform Sonny, who nods at me and smiles thankfully.

"Then we should go get some food down ya!" She baby-squeals into her daughter's ear, "Yes we should! Yes we _should_! Let's _go_!"

I stifle a laugh as she walks past me, balancing Rebecca in her arms. My wife – the Queen of Baby Talk. Ha.

Leaving Sonny to take care of breakfast, I make my way to the bathroom to see the extent of my damage from last night. Well, it's not as bad as I expected. There is a red trail leading from my nostril to my chin – blood. I wet a tissue and dab it, erasing the sticky feeling on my face along with the look of some guy who'd been in a fight.

Lovely, huh?

I continue with cleaning my face, wetting my cheeks which feel muggy and stiff from where the few tears have dried overnight. I chuck the tissue into the small bin by the toilet, before examining myself again. I have black bags under my eyes, but once again, that's completely understandable. I'd be able to explain those easily to anyone who decided to drop in today (no party is planned. Just open house – people are gonna drop in and out as they please) – I'll just say Rebecca kept me and Sonny up. I'm sure she'd go along with the story – she, like me, would probably rather keep the story of last night hidden.

There is, however, a small yet easy-to-see cut on my lower lip, and I cringe at the sight. That little injury won't be as easily explained… oh well. I'll think of something.

I look down at my right hand and debate whether to take the bandage off or not. In the end, my self-consciousness gets the better of me, and unwrap the bandage, chucking it also into the bin before examining my hand. There is a sickly purple-and-mustard-coloured bruise covering my knuckles, and a cut at the top of my index finger where some skin must've split.

Oops.

Not wanting to show off my lovely bruise to the world, I wander back into the bedroom and re-bandage my hand. So what if someone sees it? I'll have come up with a perfectly good explanation by the time someone shows up.

I get one last glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror in mine and Sonny's bedroom, and I half-smile at my reflection. I don't look as bad now. I'm just glad and surprised that Rebecca didn't freak out when I came into her room those few minutes ago, all dented and damaged. I probably look a lot friendlier now than I did then, especially to a one year-old girl.

"So, what's for breakfast?" I call into the kitchen as I make my way down the stairs. I faintly hear Sonny giggle and smile triumphantly. It's so satisfying, hearing that woman laugh.

"Nothin' special." She shouts out to me, "Pancakes." **(Wrote this on Pancake Day *smirk)**

I grin, stepping through the kitchen door, "Honey, you know exactly how to make a man happy after he spent the night beatin' himself up!"

Sonny smiles at me the moment I step through the door. I watch her sigh with relief, before abandoning her post at the oven to attack me with a hug. I chuckle, putting my arms around her and squeezing her tight.

"You're incredible." I mumble into her ear.

"I'm so glad you're okay…" She replies, squeezing me tightly.

"Hey, it's gonna take more than a couple of bruises and cuts to get this guy down!" I grin, letting go of my beautiful wife and pecking her softly on the forehead. She giggles again, that adorable giggle she has charmed me with ever since we were sixteen.

I dodge past her to get to the pancake that is cooking, taking it off the heat to stop it burning. I flip it impressively, and Sonny claps.

"Nice work, you show-off." She smirks.

"Hey, I had to make many of these back before you even _came _to California – pancakes were Josh's favourite, when he was a kid."

"Aw." Sonny coos, "Adorable."

"Not really." I roll my eyes lightly, carefully placing the pancake on a plate. I pour on the gloopy syrup and pass the plate to her, and she accepts it, sitting down at the table with Rebecca, who is just finishing her own. Well, kind of. If by "finishing", I mean _finishing _decorating herself with it. I smirk.

Just as I pour the next mixture into the pan, the doorbell goes. I check the clock in confusion and gasp as I realise – it's eleven. Did we really sleep for that long? No wonder Rebecca was hungry…

Sonny rushes to the front door, straightening her clothes. She's still really wearing her clothes from last night – the purple T-shirt and old pyjama trousers. I then freeze and check what I myself am wearing.

Jeans. White T-shirt. Luckily, no blood stain. Good.

"SONNY!"

A bundle of pink and blonde hair attacks my wife.

"Abby!" Sonny squeals, equally as excited. I smirk watching the two, from the doorway to the kitchen. Abby may be nine now, but that doesn't stop Sonny from picking her up and swinging her around. I watch in slightly horror – thinking that only yesterday she was actually having a baby extracted. But whatever. She seems perfectly fine now… I hope so, anyway…

Following Abby in, Melanie steps through the door. She greets Sonny kindly before turning to me with a soft smile. I try to return it, but it's hard. Well, they went to Chicago for a month or so. With Abby. I've just missed my baby girl, okay? Rebecca's my daughter, but Abby will always be my _original _baby girl. Of course, being an actor, I somehow find a way to return her warm smile, which makes her smile grow in response.

"How are you, Chad?" She asks me kindly. I shrug.

"Alright…" I say. She nods, before her eyes scan me. She seems to freeze for a second. I follow her gaze straight to… my hand. My _bandaged _hand. She looks like she wants to say something, but has second thoughts and closes her mouth. For that, I'm grateful. At least I don't have to come up with an excuse _just _yet…

Dad comes in behind her, grinning hugely. He gives Sonny a big bear hug, and she accepts it with that giggle I was talking about. He then smiles at me and I smile back – we haven't had the closest of father/son relationships, so can you honestly blame me for not hugging him or something? Hey, it's not like he's ever given me any of that "I love you son" stuff… when did he even last hugged me? Oh, yeah, back before he left me to take care of two kids at _seventeen years old._

You can see, I'm totally not one to hold a grudge. Cue smirk.

No, honestly… I've moved on from all that. Just about…

He looks at my hand in the same way Melanie did.

"What…" He begins, but I cut him off.

"Don't worry about it." I say, "I'm fine."

Being the ignorant man he is, my dad does not question further. Oh well. I can take care of myself now. And if not, I have Sonny. I don't need my dad that much anymore.

I haven't really needed him since I was seventeen.

"So where's the birthday girl?" Abby asks, skipping through the hallway towards the kitchen, her blonde curly hair bouncing around as she does so.

"In there." I tell her, and she grins, before running through the door to the kitchen. Her squealing echoes through the walls, making us all cringe. Yup. Abby has grown up to be one of those girls who find _everything _cute. I guess I should've seen it coming – with Sonny around for a mother figure for all those years and all…

"Look at you, Becca!" She squeals, "You're sooooo _big! _Well, not really, but you know what I mean… wait till you see what we got you! It is _wayy _too cool! Hey, is that syrup on your face? Haha, is my big brother letting you get messy? Oh well. You still look adorable anyway… like I was!"

I roll my eyes lightly, smirking. Of course, being a Cooper, and given the fact she has grown up being known as "Tawni's Mini Me", there was no way Abby was gonna grow up and not have a self-centred side in there somewhere, even if it was only tiny. Which, luckily, it is. I couldn't bear it if my little sister turned out to be a real mini Tawni… _ugh_…

Dad leaves the house for a minute, I presume to get Becca's present. I hear him call my name and follow the sound of his voice outside, to where he's standing next to a large cardboard box with a red bow around it.

"You any good at D.I.Y?" He asks. I wince.

"Uh… no." Sonny once got me to fix a cupboard door in the kitchen. It did _not _go well… let's just say, CDC can even rock a black eye. Yup.

Rather than laughing at me or reacting in any other way that I expected, Dad just smiles.

"That explains the hand and lip, then." He grins. My gaze wanders down to my hand, where the bandage is still wrapped firmly around it. I sigh in relief that an excuse has been made for me… no way I was gonna tell them what _really_ happened…

Dad and I take the box around the back, through the horse's gate and into the back yard, before abandoning it. We head back into the house, where Sonny is sat with Melanie, drinking coffee, talking. Rebecca is sat on the floor, playing with one of her soft toys that _sings_ (joy. Sonny's idea for a good birthday present), and Abby is more than excited to get stuck in with her. My little sister still loves those singing, dancing toys. To be honest, they get on my nerves, but I grin and bear it for my little girl. _Girls. _

"Ah, there's my little granddaughter!" Dad says when he sees Becca. She looks up at him with those wide, exploring eyes. She's only met him a couple of times, I'm not so sure she'd remember him.

But, Rebecca being friendly little Rebecca, she grins and babbles and says "hello" anyway, which just makes everyone in the room fuss and sigh. Even Dad.

"And what about the second grandchild?" Melanie asks. I gulp. "You got to see it at the scan yesterday, right?"

Sonny blanks out for a second, shaking a little. I put a supportive hand on her shoulder and sigh.

"The baby passed away." I say solemnly. Melanie's eyes widen.

"I'm so sorry!" She says, "I didn't know, honest…"

"No, don't worry about it." Sonny smiles sadly, "It happens."

Melanie nods, placing a hand on Sonny's knee, "I've been through it plenty of times, I promise, it gets better. You'll have another baby, I'm sure of it!"

"We are too." I say, picking up Becca and swinging her around "At least we get a little more time to get used to this little tyke!" I lift her T-shirt and blow raspberries on her tummy, and she explodes with laughter.

"Da da!" She screams, "No! No!"

I smirk, placing my little girl back on the floor and taking a seat next to Sonny on the couch.

Sonny's POV

Melanie and Chris have to leave soon after they arrive, which is a shame. It's nice being able to catch up, especially since we rarely get to see them for this long. Usually, they're out a lot, so whenever we do see them it's only for a short while, when they come over because we've been taking care of Abby for them, to pick her up. Hey, we don't mind. Especially Chad – he loves his little sister more than himself. I don't blame him – Abby's an angel.

"I don't wanna go!" She ties herself around Chad's legs shyly when Chris and Melanie finally decide it's time to leave. Melanie frowns.

"Sorry, honey, but we have to go." She says, "We're meeting up with some friends for lunch… remember Lisa and Harry?"

"They scare me." Abby pouts. I can't help but giggle.

"It's okay." Chad says, wrapping his arms protectively around Abby. "We can take care of her for a couple more hours."

Abby's little face lights up, "YES! Oh, yes! Yes! Please, Daddy? _Please?_" Ah. The official Munroe puppy dog eyes that I have shown her many times. That girl has learned well… ha!

"You can't say no to those." Chad says, obviously picking up on her little trick too, "The Munroe girls are well-known for getting their way."

"Ain't that the truth…" I snort. Every petty argument Chad and I had when we were younger, well, the Munroe puppy dog eyes won every. Single. One. And they still do, from time to time… cue smirk.

Chris smiles, "Fine, you can stay."

Abby grins, "Yes! Thank you, Daddy!" She wraps her arms around her dad in a quick embrace, before running back to Chad. My husband's smile couldn't be larger as his little sister squeezes him tightly.

Just as Melanie and Chris wave to us as they leave in their car, another car comes into the drive. I smile as my friends step out of the car. Tawni, wearing her large pink sunhat, looks my way over her large sunglasses and grins, running right to me. She wraps her arms around me, grinning, her boyfriend Nico, Grady, and his girlfriend Mel **(Yes, that Mel :P) **running up behind her.

"It's been so long!" She squeals into my ear, and I giggle. Tawni and Nico went on a vacation to Hawaii a couple of months ago. They obviously had fun – they only got back last week. I haven't talked to her for about 6 weeks.

She pulls away from the hug, her grin a mile wide.

"We need to catch up." She demands, before dragging me back into the house.

* * *

**A/N: The second half of Becca's birthday will have to come soon, cos this chap is long enough :P I've started it, kinda. I have plans, let's say that. ;)**

**Soooo, what do ya think? Isn't Rebecca just adorable? And yes! I finally brought Mel back! Lol :P ****I'll get the next chap up as soon as possible! I've only just started it, but I will try my best considering y'all had to wait like 3 weeks for this one. :D**

**Ooh, I got questions! Anyone wanna help me with, like, presents for Rebecca? I've covered Sonny's and Chad's and Melanie, Chris and Abby's... I need the Random's presents and Zosh's too. So, tell me if you have any ideas, they don't have to be clever :P**

**Ooh! It's my birthday a week today! So gimme a review as a present? Lol ;) Love y'all and your feedback. Heh. Later!**

**~Amy x**

**PS: I. Am. Obsessed. With. Hey Monday. Seriously, check them out if you haven't before! They're, like, my favourite band :D**


	59. Rebecca's First Birthday Part II

**A/N: Heyyy, guys... You know I love you, but what's with the lack of reviews? I miss all you lovely reviewers, come back to meeee! :'(**

**Weird review-lack freak-out over... Hi. Yup, guess what... TOMORROW IS LWMS'S FIRST BIRTHDAY! *blows one of those party blower thingies*. I am soooo happy that it's been a whole year and we're still running strong! (Thanks to Argie... where are you hun? :'/) **

**I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because in celebration, I've made this a chapter that's just full of fluff fluff FLUFF! I really hope you guys enjoy it! See yaz at the bottom...**

**I don't now own SWAC.**

* * *

**Chapter 58 - Rebecca's First Birthday (Part II)**

Tawni's POV

I smile at the picture I'm looking at on my phone, waiting in the car for Nico to get here. It's a picture of me, Sonny, and her daughter – my goddaughter. Rebecca. I grin at the sight of her adorable face, before looking out the window for the fiftieth time to search for Nico, but he's nowhere to be seen. I sigh, exasperated. Nico and I are _supposed _to be going to pick up Grady and Mel, his girlfriend (yes, Grady _does_ have a girlfriend. Crazy, right?) and then we're going to go see Sonny, Chad, and the little birthday girl. But, judging by the time Nico is taking to run his "errand", we're gonna be a little late. I give up for searching for my boyfriend and instead just let my mind wonder.

My goddaughter is one year old! It's awesome, it really is. It's also hard to believe that this time last year, we were all sat outside the hospital room, listening helplessly to Sonny's screams and Chad's comforting while we were stuck out in the hallway, unsure of what would happen and praying for the best. In fact, at about this time last year, I think I was driving Sonny speedily to the hospital while she cried out in pain.

Yup. Good times…

After a few more minutes, Nico comes running up the sidewalk, hiding his hand behind his back. He climbs into the car and I give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey, babe." I giggle stupidly. Hey, you can't blame me! I'm in love… "What took you so long?"

"O-oh," He stutters out, before smiling kindly, "I just had… something to pick up."

He then puts on his seatbelt and grins and pretends like everything's perfectly normal.

So what is it that had him so hesitant a second ago?

…Huh.

Strange, strange boyfriend…

But I love him. **(I have to say, I was going off Tawnico, but after writing this, I ship them again :P)**

* * *

I decide that Sonny and I need to catch up the second I catch sight of her. We haven't seen each other for ages… we _need _to get talking again! I've missed my best friend… yes, Sonny is my best friend. I know I never would've thought that in a million years back when we were on So Random, but hey. I've grown up. I've realised – Sonny Munroe is a pretty awesome young lady.

We talk for like, an hour, while everyone around us does various other things. During our conversation, I notice how tired she looks. Huh, probably the effects of having a baby daughter. It's got to be (though very rewarding) extremely tiring. That also explains why Chad looks equally as exhausted. But, what it doesn't explain is why... why he has a cut lip. Thinking of it, it also doesn't explain what's wrong with his hand, which is tied up in a bandage.

It _also _doesn't explain his attitude _towards _his bandage…

"Hey, Chad!" Nico says at one point, smiling at him friendlily, "What happened to the hand? You get in a fight or something?"

Now I know Nico meant that as a joke. I just _know _him like that. So what got me really suspicious was when Chad smiled sadly back, gave Sonny a hesitant look, before turning back to Nico and saying;

"Something like that."

That makes the cogs in my brain spin like mad.

Okay… okay… stay calm Tawni… let's think about this…

Both of the pair looks tired.

Chad looks like he's been in a fight.

That look he shared with Sonny was… highly suspicious…

So what? Did he get into a fight that she knows about?

Or… maybe… because they're both tired… oh no.

Maybe _they_ got into a fight.

Ohh… no.

Sonny's POV 

I don't know what fuels her odd behaviour, but suddenly, Tawni wraps her arms around me while we are sat talking. She strokes my back comfortingly, muttering incoherent things into my ear.

"Oh, sweetie… I know it must be… You haven't told anyone else, I bet… Honey… you can tell me…" She says gently, placing her hands on my shoulders and pouting at me. I blink. What the…?

"Um… sorry, Tawni but… I have _no _idea what you're talking about."

She frowns, "That's what I expected." She then launches into a hug again, only much tighter and for an even more unknown reason than the previous.

"Tawn, are you okay?" I say, half-worried. She makes a softy sobbing noise into my shoulder, before lifting her head again and sighing.

"I know what's wrong." She says, putting her hand on my shoulder. Again. Seriously, what's going on?

"Care to inform me…?" I ask, and she nods slowly.

"Chad and you… there's no easy way to say this… I mean, you probably haven't told anyone else, but it must be devastating…"

What the heck? Devastating? What happened that was so devastating…?

…Oh no.

"You know?" I say worriedly, and she nods. She _knows_? How could she know? How could she know that the baby died? **(Awkward mix-up… :P)** "Who told you?"

She shrugs, "No-one. I just knew." She pats my belly softly and I just blush. The baby bump _has_ gone now, I suppose… "It's okay." She says, "You can talk to me about it…" She looks over in the direction of everyone else, her eyes narrowing. She leans in closer to me and drops her voice level. "But, if you wanna talk away from the _offender… _then maybe we should leave up to your room or something."

_Um_…? "Offender?" I repeat. She nods, not taking her eyes off the crowd of people. I follow her gaze to see she's glaring at Chad, who is cuddling with Abby and Rebecca, grinning. He looks a whole lot happier than he has since yesterday… wait.

"Chad's the offender?" I ask. She nods slowly.

"That _jerk…_" She says, "He shouldn't be _doing this to you. _He deserves to be punished… after all those times he said he loved you…" She drags her eyes away from Chad to meet the shock on my face. Her face falls when she sees my reaction. "Aw, sweetie…" She then pulls me in for a big hug.

"T-Tawni…?" I stutter out, not really sure anymore whether Tawni and I are actually talking about the same thing. "This whole thing isn't _Chad's_ fault…"

"Then who's is it?" She lets out a small laugh, "Yours? I doubt _that_. You're far too sweet to start a _fight…_"

My jaw drops open. "F-fight?" I gulp. She nods.

"I know!" She says, "Chad Dylan Cooper… gosh, I knew he was a heartbreaker, but I never thought he'd hurt someone… especially _you… _and whoa. He's your husband, for crying out loud! I never would've expected this, not from Chad…"

My heart sinks as I realise what Tawni thinks is going on… "Tawni…" I gasp out. She looks at me sympathetically, "We're not fighting! Chad's… Chad's not _hurting me, _no way!"

She pouts, resting a hand on my knee, "Sonny, Sonny, Sonny…" She says, shaking her head slowly, "Denial doesn't help at all."

I have to try really hard not to yell or cry out at her ridiculous accusations. I don't wanna cause a scene, and I especially don't want Chad to hear what he's just been accused of. "He's _not _hurting me." I say, "What even made you _think _this?"

"Well…" She sighs, counting on her fingers, "You both look so tired, you could be the walking dead…" She has a point. But still, that doesn't mean anything… "The looks you've been sharing since we arrived have been kind of suspicious… and, to top it all off, I mean, look at Chad! He looks like he got in some arm wrestle that went wrong!"

I look over at my husband, who is gently caressing his wounded hand, trying to sooth the pain. I see him wince when he touches a particularly tender part of his hand, before he smiles to try and mask his pain.

I gulp.

"Okay, Tawni, I see your point… but there's a perfectly logical explanation for all this – I can assure you…"

"Prove it." She says sternly, folding her arms.

"Okay…" I sigh, "First off – we're parents, Tawni. We have a one year-old daughter – does that explain why we're so tired? Second, if Chad was harming me, then wouldn't I have the bruises and cuts, not him?"

Her mouth drops open. "Are _you _harming _him?_"

I bite back my anger, "No!" I squeak. She blinks.

"Then… what's with the bandage? And the lip?"

"We had a…" I drop the idea. I don't wanna tell her what happened. That would mean telling her about the baby… "We had a problem last night…"

"Not a fight?" She question. I nod.

"Not a fight." I assure her. She suddenly relaxes.

"Phew!" She grins, "I was worried for a second! So… wait… what was up with all those weird glances you've been giving each other?"

Not wanting to keep the truth from my best friend, I take her hands in mine and try my best to smile at her. "We, um… we lost the baby yesterday."

Her eyes widen, "Oh, gosh, Sonny! I'm so, so sorry; I-I didn't know; I…"

"No, it's okay." I stop her, "We're gonna be fine."

She smiles a little, hugging me, before whispering into my ear, "You sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm sure."

"Give me a call if you _ever _need to talk, okay?"

I grin, "I will. Promise."

"Good!" She giggles, pulling away from the hug. "So… you still haven't explained what's up with Chad's hand."

Before I can answer, I feel a pair of arms wrap around me notice the bandaged hand sat contently on my chest. I giggle.

"Chad's hand was damaged," He tells Tawni, "after he was a total idiot."

"Not a _total _idiot…" I say, but he puts a hand in my face to shut me up and I take the hint graciously. He continues, I can tell by the tone in his voice that he is smirking.

"I hurt myself on purpose, cos I was stupid and mad about what happened to our baby." He says, "But you know what? I was being stupid, because I still have the most important woman in my life, and I still have our beautiful little baby girl too… so what's the problem?"

As he finishes his little speech, Chad slumps down next to me, shooting me a megawatt grin, and Tawni coos.

"Aww!" She squeals, "You two are soooo cute! I can't wait to get married, someday… it _sucks_ not being married."

"You have Nico, though." I point out, looking over at my friend who is now playing peek-a-boo with Rebecca. I grin. Nico'll probably be a natural father, just like Chad. He's proved himself to be awesome with Rebecca.

"Yeah…" Tawni sighs sadly, "He doesn't seem interested in all that… we've known each other for, like, half our lives; we've been dating for almost two years, I mean, I love Nico… but he knows how to keep a girl waiting in suspense!"

Chad grins next to me, also looking over at Nico, "Trust me – if my information is correct, you won't be waiting for much longer…"

"What information?" Tawni blinks. Chad clears his throat noisily.

"Oh, just dude's intuition. No biggy. But trust me – the dude loves you. It won't be much longer."

Tawni nods slowly, looking over to her boyfriend, who is walking towards her with a big grin.

"Hey, beautiful…" He says, kissing her lightly on the cheek. Chad elbows me softly, before whispering something in my ear.

"It won't be much longer…" He repeats, this time, a lot slower. He seems really, really convinced… hmm…

Chad's POV

The moment Tawni drags Sonny over to 'chat', Nico saunters over to me, smiling nervously.

"Dude, I brought it." He says, and I grin.

"Good one. And you know what you're gonna say to her?"

"Um… just about…" He stammers. I put a supportive arm around his back.

"Trust me, buddy – I've been through this. I know how you feel. It's tough – I know it is. But trust me, it'll be less scary once you just pop out that question. Promise." I finish with a smile. He smiles right back at me.

"Thanks, man." He says, before noticing my little girl tugging at his leg. "Well, hey there, little one!"

"Hiiiii." Rebecca coos, reaching up to ask for a lift. Nico picks her up, resting her carefully on his arm. Hey, what can I say? Dude's a natural.

* * *

Everyone leaves a few hours later, leaving me, Sonny, and Rebecca alone. Dad and Melanie come back for Abby and take her home, and it's about four o'clock when the doorbell goes again. Sonny is clearing away all Rebecca's little random presents, and she looks up at the door with confusion.

"Hmm, I wonder who that could be…" She says, picking up Rebecca on her way to the door. She opens it to reveal Josh and his little girlfriend (yes, still Zora. By the way, they're still big fat flirts to each other, and total pranksters. Some things never change). Josh greets Sonny happily, taking Rebecca from her as Zora attacks her with one of their girl hugs. They coo each other's names, shouting random questions into each other's ears, and I just watch them, smirking. Josh comes up next to me, bouncing Rebecca up and down on his arm until she settles into a comfortable position. He laughs at my amused expression.

"Our girls." He says, patting me on the back, before greeting his little niece with a friendly smile, and she babbles back goofily in response.

"Josss-yyyy!" She giggles, her speech slurring slightly. It's hilariously cute when she does that. Josh passes her carefully over to me like a box of fragile china, just as Zora and Sonny join us from the doorway.

Zora is working on some sort of movie, from what I can remember, so Sonny and I didn't really expect her and Josh to show up. If they were gonna show up, I thought it would be with the others – Tawni, Nico, Grady and Mel. Even though So Random has finished for all the cast of that time, it's very rare for when you see one ex-Random, to not see another lingering around somewhere. Apart from Sonny, of course – she is my first and last sight every day – but apart from her, it's very usual to see Tawni and Nico or Nico and Grady or whatever little pairing, just hanging out. Remember how tight the Randoms used to be? Hasn't changed, at all.

It's totally different for me and the old Falls kids, you see. I probably still keep in touch with two of my old cast members – Ferguson, although I haven't seen him properly since before Rebecca was born, and Chastity, though I've only spoken to her by the phone since the show ended. I mean, sure, I liked my cast, but the Randoms? They were more a _family. _And families stick together until the end.

But then, I suppose Zora has been spending most of her time with Josh nowadays and less with the Randoms. They are – it pains me to say this – a perfect match. My brother, with one of my ex-enemies? It's kind of funny to think about it that way. Yup, they're just another Romeo and Juliet story. _Ha_.

"So, what brought you guys here?" Sonny asks them with a smile.

"Well, we weren't gonna miss the birthday girl's special day, were we?" Zora asks, tickling the little girl in my arms on the tummy, which receives a happy little giggle from her.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Josh agrees, before rooting around in his pocket, "Oh, and, we had to bring her present too…"

I watch, along with the rest of the small party (apart from Rebecca, who is contently playing with her fingers) as Josh fishes a small velvet box out of his pocket. My eyes widen. **(Thanks to mrpuppy for this bit ;) Ain't mrpuppy so smart for giving us such an adorable Zosh scene?)**

"Um, Josh, are you sure that's Rebecca's present?" I enquire, raising an eyebrow, "Isn't she a little young for jewellery?"

"Yeah…" Zora says, her jaw dropped open completely. Josh grins cheekily.

"Oh, yeah… this is for someone else…" He says, studying the box like he'd never seen it before. He passes it to Zora, with a small, shy smile on his face. She stares at the box, opening it to reveal a little ring with a shimmering green pendant on it. She looks up at Josh suddenly, her mouth wide with shock, yet happiness.

"Josh…" She utters. He shrugs.

"I thought I'd follow in the steps of my bro and give ya this." He admits, "We're still a little young for the whole marriage thing, but we've been together for a while now and I thought it was time I gave you something to show you how much I appreciate and, well, love you."

Zora's smile just grows and grows during Josh's little speech (who could've thought Zora and Josh would be ones of romance and stuff like this?), and Sonny squeals, clutching me tight.

"Remember when we were young and in love?" She coos. I laugh.

"Yeah. Are you tryna say we're _not _young now?" She just laughs, "I'm serious!" I chuckle, "We're twenty four, hun. Is that really that bad? And besides… 'young and in love'? Even if you think the 'young' bit is over, the 'in love' bit sure ain't." **(I think they're 24 anyways :P)**

Sonny grins, "No way."

We watch, hugging, Rebecca still struggling in my arms, as Zora slips the ring onto her finger and hugs Josh tightly, flinging her arms around his neck.

"I love it!" She squeals, kissing him lightly on the cheek, "I love _you._"

"I love you too, babe." Josh grins, squeezing his girlfriend, before turning to face me and raising an eyebrow at me. "Dude, I forgot to ask you – what happened to your hand, man?"

I think fast, remembering the excuse Dad accidentally made up for me earlier, "I suck at DIY." I excuse myself. He laughs.

"I know." He says.

Nico's POV

_Okay… chill, man… you can do this…_

While Tawni is picking up some of her Coca Moco Cocoa, I run though what I gotta do in my head.

_You can do this… c'mon, just say it. The minute - no, second - you see her. Remember what Chad said? Trust him, he's been through it. _

_This will be easy…_

_Maybe. _

"Nico?"

_Here it goes…_

Tawni's POV

I ask Nico to drive me to my favourite shop after we drop Mel and Grady – the last shop that sells Coco Moco Cocoa in the whole of America. And yes – I still love it. So sue me.

I come back from the shop and get in the car to see Nico, sat in the driver's seat, looking like he's off in his own little world. Huh. Well, that's new… Nico never daydreams. He's too suave for that kind of thing (and I never thought 'suave' would be my type, by the way… but hey, things change).

"Nico?" I say carefully, putting a gentle hand on his knee. He looks up at me, smiles, and puts the car into 'drive'. The car comes to life as engine revs and he turns on the radio, giving me a soft smile. 'Marry You' by Bruno Mars blasts through the speakers, and I grin, dancing like an idiot in my seat **(I know that song would be, like, 8 years old here, but oh well. Let's pretend it's not ;))**. Nico watches me with a smirk on his face for a few seconds, the engine till roaring, before he lets the engine die down. I watch as he looks down at his feet, slightly troubled. I frown at him.

"You alright, baby?" I ask him gently. He smiles up at me.

"Fine." He says, "I was just thinking, um, do you wanna…" He rubs the back of his neck, holding my hand with his free one. He looks me in the eye, tries for a smile, "I mean, I was thinking we should…"

"Yes?" I say, raising an eyebrow, trying to give him a helpful little push. But apparently, his little word vomit isn't over.

"I mean, I've talked to Chad about it, and I've had an awesome time with you… I think… well, I've been trying to say all day that…"

He trails off into silence, and I put a hand on his knee again, trying to not get impatient with him. Nico rarely gets nervous, but when he does, it's bad. I remember his first So Random show. We were fourteen. He was still that suave, cocky kid, but at the same time, I had a feeling that he was just hiding behind that act. But hey, Hollywood changes you. Soon, the act becomes who you are. I would know. Anyway, about Nico's first week. He came to introduce himself to me. I could tell he had a crush on me, because he kept tripping over his words, and then he blacked out. At the moment I thought he was ridiculous, but looking back it's just adorable.

"You were saying?" I say. He bites his lip, looks at me one last time, before shaking his head and revving the engine once more.

"I'll tell you later." He says in complete monotone. Before I can say anything, we're gone, speeding down the road about 10 miles faster than the limit allows. I swallow hard, watching his face. He looks upset, then angry, and, when we finally get into our road, disappointed. I put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, and he looks up at me with a small smile. I smile back, making his grow in response. And then, he takes a long, deep breath.

"Tawni." He mumbles quietly. "Will you…" He sighs, swallowing loudly. And then, holding a small box with a ring sat delicately in it, he speaks once more.

"Will you marry me?"

My jaw drops. My heart speeds up. Tears spring to my eyes and my lower lip quivers. I am almost certain I heard him wrong – only a few hours ago, I was moaning to Sonny and Chad about how Nico was most likely never going to propose.

Yet… look at my situation now:

The beautiful ring in his hand;

The eager, yet slightly shy, smile on his face;

The thumping of my heartbeat – it is so loud, I am pretty certain he can hear it, see it, feel it.

Could it… could it be? Is this really happening? I pinch myself, but the image in front of me doesn't fade. Nico is still there, and so is that ring.

"Wh-what?" I whisper, checking one last time. A tear of joy trickles down my cheek, and I brush it away before Nico can comment on it.

He grins, taking the ring out of its place in the box, holding it out for me between his thumb and his index finger. "Will you marry me… _please_?" He adds with a cheeky smile. I try to laugh, but it all comes out as a weird, giggly, choking mess. Nico laughs.

"There, there, babe." He pats my back tenderly, and I stop choking. "You okay?" He checks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yes." I say softly. He smiles and nods.

"Good. So… about my question…"

"I already answered it." I tell him, laughing a little as he blinks obliviously at me. I had a feeling he wouldn't notice…

"Huh?"

"I said; yes." I repeat, unbuckling my seatbelt and hugging him tightly, "I will."

Nico hugs me back, and I feel as his cheeks widen from smiling. I remember Chad earlier, how he was saying he didn't think we'd be not engaged for much longer…

Nico told him he was gonna propose, didn't he?

I chuckle quietly to myself. I suppose I should've seen that coming – Chad is married, after all. He's the perfect one to go to for advice.

"I love you." I tell Nico, and he chuckles.

"I love you too, baby."

I giggle, "And now I know how Sonny and Chad feel."

* * *

**A/N: What did I say? Fluff? And cliche too! Yay! I suck when it comes to using cliches :P But hey, I hope you loved it anyways. We had Channy, we had Sonny/Tawni friendship, we had Zosh, we had Tawnico, and we had adorable lil' Abby and Rebecca. Soo... Yup! I hope that was good enough for you!**

**Please review for mee! Because I'm stuck for ideas as to what to bring next and I need your lovely inspiration!**

**Happy Birthday for tomorrow, LWMS!**

**In Loving Memory of my beautiful Grandma Irene Pollard. You will be solemnly missed and loved forever. **

**~Amy. xxx**


	60. Flashbacks, Part I

**A/N: Okay. Okay. Okay. You guys can all slap me now. As hard as you want. I haven't updated in nearly TWO MONTHS. That is bad, and I'm reeeeaaaally sorry. Forgive me?**

**Cos you know? I love y'all! We did it - we hit 700!**

** k.98'PeaceOutSuckas - You... you beautiful, sweet, kind, perfect little girl. It's been far too long, because I haven't been able to thank you for attacking me with like, 50+ reviews last chapter. I cried tears of joy... I miss you so much. When you come back, Argie, you shall be suffocated with a crazy hug! Hehehehh... Yeah. I miss you loooads and your lovely reviews... please come back soon! I wuve you. **

**Okay. So, honestly, the rest of this story is planned. This chapter will be a bunch of flashbacks, because I love Channy, past and present :P They'll all be from Sonny's POV. Next chap will be a bunch of flashbacks, mostly from Chad's POV, and then I will add on an epilogue, because I can't let go of this story! *cries* But I have so many new story ideas that I wanna get on with, so I best get this one over with... *cries again***

**I really hope you enjoy this, especially with how long it took. *slaps self* **

* * *

**Chapter 59 - Flashbacks, Part 1**

Sonny's POV

"Goodnight, beautiful!"

Ah. We maybe be in our mid-twenties, but that doesn't stop me from blushing and giggling like a little school girl whenever my husband calls me 'beautiful'. Today is actually the ninth anniversary of us meeting for the first time, all those years ago in Condor Studios, the place that changed my life forever.

Condor Studios is, for me, the best place on Earth, and it always will be. For one, it was my first taste of Hollywood. It was great – three years, five friends, over a hundred episodes…

One show.

So Random.

I am forever grateful for those people at So Random, because they changed my life. They made my dreams come true.

And, I am also grateful for Condor Studios, because it was in that miracle place where I met Chad Dylan Cooper.

Collapsing into bed, rubbing my baby bump (two months in, just about. I'm going for a baby scan - the first for this baby), checking the time on the clock beside me. It reads 9:30pm. I've come to bed kind of early, but since I'm pregnant I guess I have an excuse. Lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, I close my eyes, breathing.

After what feels like ten minutes later, I open my eyes, irritated a little.

I can't sleep. I'm an impatient person when I'm tired. And right now I just. Can't. Sleep.

Sighing, and looking for something to stop the irritation, I reach under the bed for something, struggling a little because of the baby bump. My hand rests on something, and I pick it up with a smile, opening it.

My 'Chad' scrapbook. Back when I was younger, I used to love making scrapbooks. I'd just make them to remind me of anything and everything, well, everything. When mine and Chad's relationship started, I made one and put everything in there that I could. When we first broke up I tried to throw it out, but it was just not possible. I just wanted to hold on to the memories, and the scrapbook was where they all were.

I open the scrapbook to see that very first signed picture Chad gave me, when we first met. Giggling, I gaze at the picture. He looks so much younger in the picture – well, obviously. It was nine years ago. His figure is so much lankier, and his dimples, though they are still there, are not so pronounced anymore. And yet, whenever he smiles, you can still make them out. Rebecca, our daughter, has the exact same dimples. Once again. I am so grateful that Rebecca got most of Chad's genes, and not mine. We're looking at an attractive little girl, right there.

I remember the first time I met him. I was so star struck, and I never thought that I'd get this far with him. I 'hated' him. How stupid I was back then, to just hide all my feelings for him because my friends said I was supposed to be his enemy. He could be such a jerk, and I hated that, but what I hated more was the fact that he could actually be sweet. Those sweet moments, well, they were the ones that stopped me from completely disliking Chad. I remember the first time I really saw a sweet side to Chad…

It was almost ten years ago, a few hours after the whole musical chairs thing. The Randoms and I were hanging out in the Prop House, eating fro yo, writing sketch ideas. Tawni announced that she needed a make-up break, and so everyone broke off to do their own little thing as if Tawni's make-up breaks were a habit (which, I soon found, they were). Nico and Grady started playing on their GameStation **(You know? Like, Xbox/Ybox, PlayStation/GameStation :P) **and Zora started fiddling with her cold-cut catapult, seeing how far she could shoot a slice of baloney. Deciding I might as well go do something, I got up out of my chair and decided I'd best get started on writing the letter that I'd promised I'd send to Lucy about my first few days in Hollywood.

I skipped towards my dressing room where I knew some paper was, and a pen, and my camera. My plan was to take a picture of my room, all my cast mates with me, and send them to Lucy as well as a note explaining how my first few weeks had been. After I'd written the letter, I asked Tawni if I could take a picture of her, to which she replied a furious 'no' as she hadn't finished her make-up yet. So I decided to go find Nico, Grady and Zora and take pictures of them. After I'd got one of each of them, and one of Marshall too, I made my way back to mine and Tawni's dressing room.

And you'd never guess who I bumped into.

Okay, maybe you would.

"Chad?"

"Sonny." Chad brushed an imaginary speck of dust off of his Mack Falls blazer, before looking up at me, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

"Um…" I looked around at my surroundings, making sure I hadn't accidentally wandered into the Mack Falls set. "I'm kinda here cos I… work here, Chad." I told him. I blinked, realising something.

We weren't in Mackenzie Falls.

"Why are you here, Cooper?" I asked him, placing a hand on my hip, "Didn't we kinda make it obvious that we didn't want to see you round here? And I thought you hated being around anything…" I pulled a face and did my drama-snob impression, "'_Funny_'?"

Chad rolled his eyes at me, "Can't a guy walk to work in peace?" He asked me, "I'm just makin' my way to Mackenzie Falls, where, unlike you people at Chuckle City, we do some _actual_ work. Is that a problem?"

"It is when you're makin' your way to work through _our_ studio."

Chad smirked, "Gee, Munroe, I didn't realised you could be so cruel. So possessive. Almost diva-ish."

I pursed my lips together in frustration, "Just go away."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good!"

Chad waggled his eyebrows a little, before sauntering past me. I watched him go, thinking. Lucy liked Chad, didn't she? I could send her a picture of Chad, along with the pictures of my friends - she'd like that…

"Chad!" I called after him.

"What?" He asked, turning around to face me, slightly agitated. Oddly, I suddenly became very shy. It's weird, considering for the last few days I'd shot nothing but rude remarks at Chad – now it was almost as if I was meeting him for the first time again.

"Um… do you think… maybe…"

"Spit it out, Munroe." He said boredly, rolling his eyes and waving his arm around to say 'hurry up'. I swallowed, shocked at my sudden inability to get straight to the point. I smiled, but it came off shy, and held up the camera. Chad's face seemed to soften at the arrival of the camera (of course).

"I'm taking pictures of people I've met in Hollywood to send to my best friend, Lucy." I explained. "I've got pictures of all the other So Random members, my producer… I was wondering if I could get a picture with the snobbiest guy I've met so far?" I smirked, and he chuckled, looking actually happy for the first time. Not in a snobbish, I'm-better-than-you way.

He seemed genuinely _happy._

"I'd love to say no," He grinned, "But you're giving me an opportunity to be in a _picture… _and you must know by now I can't say no to the camera."

"So is that a yes?" I smiled almost hopefully. Chad nodded after a few seconds of reluctant thought, and I must've jumped about three feet in the air in celebration.

"Oh, goody!" I cheered. Chad rolled his eyes in my direction.

"Don't do that again." He groaned, "I might just realise how _stupid_ this 'helping you' thing is if you do…"

"Eh, you love my craziness. C'mon, you know you do!" I giggled.

"Never gonna happen, Munroe." He said, though his tone was rather playful. Of course, we all know that it did happen, in the end. If I'd have known back then… gosh, I dread to think what I would've thought if someone told sixteen year-old me that she'd soon fall for her biggest enemy. I think it would've involved a lot of denial, squeaky "I don't like Chad"s, pouty faces and falling over stuff. Yup. Sixteen year-old me was a lot of things. That long list does include clumsy.

We posed together, our faces strangely close together for two rivals who hated each other (ha, yeah right…), and I thanked Chad with a smile.

"No prob, Munroe." He replied with a grin, before sauntering down the hallway. I watched him go, whistling a tune to himself, and sighed stupidly. But only a few seconds later, I shock my head, snapped out of my Chad-trance, and made my way back to the dressing room.

…

A few pages on, and a few months on, I find a picture of Chad and I, posing in front of another camera, at a much more formal gathering.

The studio's prom. And no, not the secret prom that I had to organise and that went crazily wrong (well, for me, anyway). Ohhh no.

I'm talkin' 'bout the _real_ prom.

A week after the secret prom, Marshall had the So Random stage set up from another prom. The rest of my cast joked that it was like déjà vu for them. For me? Nope. It wasn't even close to déjà vu. Well, for starters, I was actually _there_ this time.

And difference two? I had a date.

Well… sort of.

It all started about two miles away from Condor Studios, when my car generously decided to run outta gas. I got out of the car, kicking it in frustration.

"Not this time… I won't miss _another_ prom…" I grumbled to myself. I was wearing a frilly, purple dress that came to my knees this time, and a necklace with a little heart pendant that had a key lock and a matching key. You know – like a play on the whole 'key to my heart' thing. **(I have a necklace like that. I love it.) **I thought I looked pretty good, but I probably didn't look amazing, stood at the side of the road, next to my stupid, broken-down car, kicking it angrily.

So then what happened? Well, as if he was my knight in shining armour, Mr Chad Dylan Cooper showed up in his fancy car, rolling down the window and smirking at me.

"Car trouble, madam?" He asked in a formal tone, winking. I growled at me.

"Get lost, Cooper."

"Ouch!" He said mockingly, "I'm offended, Munroe! I was only coming to check you were okay…"

"I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. "I just don't wanna miss another prom! This is my third opportunity for a prom, and if I miss this one, I will seriously _destroy this car!_" I pounded my car with my fist this time, but obviously the metal was so much harder than my little hand and I squealed out in pain, blowing at my hand as if that would blow the pain away. Chad parked his car behind mine and got out, strolling up to me. I pretended he wasn't there.

"I'm being blanked?" He spoke, feigning hurt, "That's cruel, Sonny. That's real cruel. You're blanking Chad Dylan Cooper. The poor guy… what did he do to-"

"You done?"

Chad seemed to really be enjoying my annoyance, "Someone's in a very un-sunny mood today. Hey… un-_Sonny!_ Get it!" Chad laughed at his not-funny joke, and I rolled my eyes.

"I get it. It's just not funny. You're probably the fifth person to do that joke in the last two years."

Chad pouted. I remember thinking that he was cute, before mentally pummelling both myself _and_ him for it. "Darn." He moaned, kicking a random pebble, "Guess I don't get points for originality."

"But you get a couple for trying, Cooper."

Chad grinned, "Sweet. What's my prize?"

"You get to spend a joyous evening standing here with me until my car begins to work again." I smirked. Chad scoffed.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna do that."

"It's your prize."

"I'd rather be prize-less."

"Ouch."

"So…" Chad looked down at his feet. I had to admit – he looked pretty good, for a three-named jerk-throb. He was wearing something similar to the first prom – only his shirt was a pale blue this time. I smiled – he looked kind of good in blue.

Kind of.

Chad began to whistle, his eyes wandering around, before he huffed. "I'm bored." He told me in an explanatory tone as I raised an eyebrow at him. I sighed.

"Well, I got nowhere to go, and I don't wanna be stood on my own until I can get my Mom to come to my rescue."

Chad chuckled, "You know, I have a car." He gestured his hands towards his fancy convertible (which had the roof up at the moment), clicking his tongue. "I could take you to the prom. I think I make a much better saviour than your mom – no offence."

"My hero." I muttered, rolling my eyes. Chad laughed.

"This moody version of you is hilarious."

"Shut up." I hissed, but I knew that there was no point arguing over something so silly like not wanting to go to a prom in Chad's car even though mine had broken down.

"Soo… is it a date?" Chad asked with a small smile. I ducked my head. The word 'date' sounded kind of odd coming from his mouth. Especially since it was aimed at me.

Despite this, I nodded with a grin. "It's a date. Hypothetically." I added, just so he didn't get the wrong idea. I didn't want Chad kissin' me and stuff. You know. At that time.

"Hypothetically." Chad agreed with a nod, before opening the passenger door, "Your ride awaits, Cinderella."

I giggled, "Thanks, my loyal footman."

Chad scoffed, "No way. I'm Prince Charming, baby."

"You wish."

"No, Sonshine," He winked, "_You _wish."

_~L~W~M~S~_

Chad and I arrived at the studio, and the prom was pretty much perfect, yet again. We'd gone for a slightly different theme since we didn't want everyone to feel like it was déjà vu (everyone but me, that is…). It was sort of like a 'red carpet' theme, with flashing lights and fancy velvet rope and old used film draped around to replace streamers. It was a less romantic theme, but more appropriate for a TV studio. I had to admit, it looked pretty cool.

My cast came running up, Tawni with her 'prom queen' tiara in hand, ready for the announcement, because she was certain that she would win it again. Wow. Prom Queen twice in two weeks? That's gotta be some kind of record. I was sure Tawni would be proud of herself.

Everyone looked pretty confused when they saw Chad and I walk in, standing close. I silently hoped that my friends wouldn't get mad at Chad and attack him. Not during prom… my first _actual_ prom.

_Finally_.

"Sonny?" Nico asked as he approached, pointing between me and Chad, "What are you doin' with Pooper?"

"He drove me in." I explained, pulling my hand to my side quickly as I realised it was wrapped around Chad's. I felt my cheeks burn and hoped that it didn't show.

"What was wrong with your car?" Tawni asked.

"Broke down." I shrugged, before punching Chad's shoulder lightly, "Chad was just drivin' past, and he gave me a drive in."

"What's the catch?" Zora asked, raising her eyebrows suspiciously at Chad. He smiled at her.

"No catch. However, Chad's Taxi Service does charge return fee."

I rolled my eyes, "Jerk."

"Eh, you love me."

Because of my cast's presence, I didn't reply. I knew it would end in some stupid word vomit/denial thing, and so I just stayed hushed.

Suddenly, a Jason Derulo song echoed around the hall, and Tawni squealed, dragging me away from Chad and jumping around, dancing like crazy. Zora joined us, giggling. It was nice to see her acting like a girl for once – and she was wearing a little purple dress too! She looked adorable, I decided with a grin.

Nico and Grady meandered off to talk to some girls from the other shows, and Chad, left alone, came to dance with us. Well, not really. He sort of stood around, shuffling beside me.

"What are you doing?" Tawni asked him, forehead creasing.

Chad shrugged, "This thing. It's called _dancing_."

"Nuh-uh." Tawni laughed, "That isn't _dancing_. You look like someone poured ants down your pants."

Chad scowled at her, "Well, I don't want anyone seeing me dancing with you guys… Chad Dylan Cooper, dancing with the Random girls?" He pulled a face, shuddering, "There goes my rep."

"Oh, c'mon! I protested, giggling, excited because of the party mood in the air. I grabbed Chad's hands in mine and jumped up and down ecstatically.

"You're saying _I_ can't dance?" Chad smirked, "Sonny, you look like someone just shoved a taser up your backside."

"Shut up!" I giggled, "Let's _dance!"_

"Okay, who spiked Sonny's drink?" Tawni asked in a loud voice, giggling and skipping over to the drinks table, with Zora at her side.

"I haven't drank yet!" I protested, yelling after her.

"So, you're just mental, then." Chad said, rolling his eyes. Before I could yell at him, the fast song stopped, the pace slowed, and a sweet, romantic song came on. I bit my lip, looking into Chad's eyes with a grin.

"Well, we've had practice with this kind of dance." Chad pointed out bashfully. I smiled.

"We sure have."

"You wanna…?"

"I thought being seen dancing with a Random would ruin your reputation?" I said with a blink. Chad shrugged.

"I'll make an exception."

"Okay, then." I said with a smile.

Despite my confirmation to dance, Chad and I just stood around, smiling at each other awkwardly. This wasn't like the first time we danced together. We were alone then. If anyone saw us together like this… I shuddered at the thought of people thinking we were _dating._

_Ha_. If only I'd known.

We stood there, awkwardly swaying for a few seconds, when Chad opened his mouth to speak.

"This isn't working…"

"Nope."

"People…"

"Yeah."

"Might see." Chad finished his sentence as if I'd never interrupted him, before he looked up at me from under his eyelids. He rubbed the back of his neck, shyly, "Um… what if we…?"

"Yeah?"

He stuck his tongue out in thought for a second. "What if we… closed our eyes?" The shy look faded from his face and he smirked, "If we can't see them, they can't see us."

I giggled, sounding almost hysterical. I blushed, embarrassed that I'd laughed like a nut-job in front of Chad. He didn't seem to notice or care though, which made me feel slightly better.

"Okay. Deal."

Chad grinned, clutching onto my hands. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to dance. I wasn't really that successful – I kept stepping on Chad toes and tripping over my own feet, and when I gave in with the whole closed eyes thing and opened them, I noticed Chad looking down at me with a smirk, and I realised that he'd had his bright, blue eyes _open_ the whole time. My mouth gaped open.

"You cheat!" I scolded him. He grinned cheekily, clicking his tongue.

"CDC does not cheat." He says smugly, "He… disobeys the rules."

"You bad boy." I giggled. He just shrugged.

"You love it." He said. I realised how often he'd been saying this. Why was he saying that? Was he trying to convince me or something…? I shook my head. _No way…_

Somehow, though we were squabbling, we were still dancing – quite skilfully, actually. Chad had surprised me after the secret prom – he was a good dancer. He continued to prove it now – he twirled me round and round, making me giggle slightly hysterically. I noticed the eyes on us, especially the eyes of our casts, but I didn't really care. I was having too much fun. Besides, I'd explain that it wasn't what they were thinking in a minute, no problem.

I was just having too much fun with Chad.

He gave me one last twirl, before holding me close and looking into my eyes. It felt… weird. But special. Really special.

And then he pulled away from the dancing, yanking me back into the real world. But that didn't mean he hadn't left a small imprint on my mind…

…

Everything was normal after that. And then that interview with Gilroy Smith came along and everything got turned on its head. It was the time I first found that Chad actually _liked _me.

And after that, months went on – years, even. After a long, long wait, Chad and I dated. Chad and I fell in love. Chad and I broke up. Six months on, and my house burnt down and I had no option but to move in with Chad, which led to the most hectic chain of events of my entire life. And, in the end, it finally led to the marriage. Marriage led to Rebecca, and then another pregnancy which, sadly, didn't give us the blessing of another child… but I'm still grateful, sure. Chad and I came out so much stronger after that experience.

And now, I'm pregnant again. Maybe it'll be a boy, this time, but still with Chad's eyes and hair. That would just be adorable, to have a mini Chad toddling around! Heh.

My husband shuffles into the bedroom, and I place the scrapbook back under the bed, smiling at him sweetly. He chuckles slightly at my smile.

"Hey, beautiful." He says, and I giggle.

"Hey, sexy."

"Sexy?" He blinks, a twisted smile on his lips, "That's a lovely compliment, honey. I'm your husband, remember? Not your celebrity crush no more."

"Hey," I raise my hands in the air in mock surrender, "When you smile like _that, _you can't blame me for acting like a creepy fan-girl."

"Oh, I think I can." I smirk, and he laughs, taking his shirt off and getting into the bed next to me. He gives me a friendly smile and I giggle, like I'm a little sixteen year-old again. Haha, I know. What a cliché.

Chad pats my abdomen, where the new baby is growing. I've kind of missed this, in a weird way. Who cares if pregnancy leads to moodiness, sickness, and getting big in the tummy? The kid will be totally worth it.

My eyes begin to droop closed, and I let out a small yawn as I fade into sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was that! I hope you guys enjoyed it, cos I did. It was sweet to write :D**

**Please review! I wanna see how many we can get now the story's coming to an end. **

**Byeee! **

**~Amy x**


	61. Flashbacks, Part II

**A/N: Hello, dear readers! *dodges TheSarahStar's flying cannon*. I know. I should be ashamed. But, you, my beautiful readers, have the patience of saints for waiting this long! So, without further ado, the penultimate chapter of LWMS! Who else feels like crying? **

**Thank you **Little Miss Me **for your reviews! Aww, have a tissue! *hands you tissue* :)**

**mrpuppy - N'aww, I'm sad that you've gone off SWAC, but I'm happy you're still reading my story! It means a lot to me :) **

**WARNING: Overly bipolar chapter. First half is enormously depressing and the second half is just me being random :P **

**Note: This chapter, like the last, is flashbacking time and so is in past tense, which is unusual for me. Bear with me?**

**Note 2: The first half of this chapter is based on my one-shot **Watching Over You. **Go check it out if you haven't. It's an add-on to this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 60 (OMW) - Flashbacks, Part II**

Chad's POV

It was January, 2012. About a year since Sonny and I broke up after the recount.

Exactly a year since my mother passed away.

So now I had Sonny back. She was mine again, and I was so grateful. I just wished I could get my Mom back too.

Mr Condor knew about it being the anniversary of my Mom's death. Sonny had told him, asking if we could have the day off to mourn. Condor kindly accepted, which I was grateful for. Condor may have been mean and slightly evil, but wasn't totally heartless.

I was lying on the couch, with the TV blaring away. I was home alone - Josh was at school, and Sonny had taken Abby out to the park. She was trying to get her tired out - we were planning on dropping Abby off with Tawni and then making our way to the church, to see Mom.

I heard a small clicking sound - the front door. I sat up on the couch, my head turning to the door, and I smiled when I saw my girlfriend, holding my little sister in her arms. Abby gave me a small, gentle grin as she waved a bouquet of flowers at me - lilies, my Mom's favourite flowers when she was alive. Sonny put Abby down, taking the flowers from her, and instructing her gently to go find a couple of toys to take with her to Tawni's. Abby nodded obediently, toddling off to the kitchen where she'd left her favourite stuffed animal earlier. Sonny giggled, watching the my little sister, before turning to me and giving me a sympathetic smile. I nodded in thanks. Though I didn't like people constantly apologising for my Mom's… death, I didn't mind with Sonny. Sonny was different. When other people apologised, it just made me feel like they thought I was sad and pathetic and in desperate need of a hug, like some little kid who'd lost their blankie. Sonny understood, though - when she tried to sympathise, she did it right. She wasn't patronising, she didn't overdo it.

She took a seat next to me on the couch, resting her head on my shoulder. I leaned my head against her own, stroked her hair smoothly. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Sonny started to mumble small things about new words Abby picked up while they were out and friends she was making, and I made small murmuring noises to sound like I was listening. But really I was too busy thinking about the dream – nightmare – I'd had before they'd came home. A recurring dream that I'd had almost every night for the first few months after Mom died. It faded away when Sonny came back, but even then it was still there. The memory of my mother's kind, warm eyes. The memory of how, on the last day we ever talked, I told her that I never wanted her to speak to me again.

Oh, the irony. Because she _never did_.

No matter how long ago it was that my mother died, I will never forget that look in her eye when I yelled at her and told her that I didn't need her help, that I didn't want her around. The regret (understatement of the century) I felt the next day, when I found her lying in her bed; cold, motionless, built up in my chest and I felt like I was going to be sick whenever I thought of it. It's a constant reminder to me – you never know what you have until it's gone.

I learnt my lesson, I suppose. But why did the universe have to end my mother's life to teach me a lesson?

"You okay?" Sonny asked softly, interrupting my thoughts.

"I'm…" I huffed, "…okay. I guess. I've been so much better, though."

"I know." Sonny sighed, embracing me in a careful hug. I hugged her back mindlessly, my thoughts still on other matters.

_Why did she have to go? _

"Hey, but don't worry." Sonny said, semi-perkily, "Shall we go drop Abby off with Tawni now, and then go see your Mom?"

I nodded, rubbing my nose with the back of my wrist. Sonny broke out into a smile. "Abby!" She called out for my little sister, "C'mon sweetie, we're gonna go see Auntie Tawni!"

Suddenly, my blonde little sister burst back through from the kitchen door with her plush giraffe in tow, giggling and squealing as Sonny picked her up and planted a massive kiss on her cheek. I watched, smiling half-heartedly. I was glad that, back then, Abby was way too young to know what today really was.

Sonny drove us to Tawni's house, with Abby sat in my lap. That wasn't really the best idea I'd ever had – what if we'd crashed? – but I just needed to hold my little sister. She, and Sonny, were the only two things that, without, I probably would've fallen apart, right there, right then.

I felt pathetic. I was the one who was supposed to be strong for my family – I was the older brother. But here Abby was, giggling away, and Josh was being brave and going to school despite the occasion, and I was here, clenching my fists in my baby sister's lap just to stop myself from shattering. I felt like a pathetic mess. If everyone else's lives were continuing so normally…

Why wasn't mine?

Abby ran straight into Tawni's arms and the blonde picked her up and swung her around. Tawni may have been annoying, but she had a connection with my little sister – she still does. Seriously – I never would have expected Tawni to be so good with kids. Apparently I was wrong.

"Hey, guys…" Tawni greeted Sonny with a smile, and then turned and looked at me sympathetically. I nodded, guessing that Sonny had told all her Random friends about today too.

"We'll be back for her later." Sonny informed Tawni with her usual smile, before it faded a little, "You sure you can handle this?" She asked her friend. Tawni chuckled.

"Please! I can handle this just fine; you two go and do whatever you've gotta do." She rubbed her nose against Abby's, earning an excited little coo from my sister. "We'll be just fine, won't we, Mini Me?" She cooed. I rolled my eyes.

"If you dare turn her into a mini you, Tawni, I'd never come to you for babysitting again." I joked. Tawni stuck her tongue out at me, making Abby giggle approvingly. I shook my head. "Great." I mumbled. Tawni laughed.

"Chillax, Cooper." She said, "I got this. You two have a nice day."

My heart sunk. _Have a nice day? _How the hell was I supposed to do that?

"Oh, and Chad?" I whirled around to see Tawni frowning concernedly. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about your mom. It kind of explains why you were such a jerk after yours and Sonny's break up." She smirked lightly, adding jokingly, "If I'd have known, I might've treated you a little better after the whole Sonny break-up thing."

I couldn't help but chuckle, even though it sounded pretty hollow, "Thanks Blondie."

"No prob, Pooper."

The air around us was still, like the whole day was pretty much lifeless. I could hear the distant noise of the busy city around us, but I wasn't really focused on it. Sonny laid the bouquet of flowers on my mother's grave while I sat down next to it, my fingers tracing her name in the gravestone.

Sonny slumped next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. She caressed my back, humming softly. I closed my eyes while listening to her humming, and all I could see was my Mom's bright blue eyes, her kind smile, her blonde hair, her friendly face. Even worse, the second image that appeared – the helpless, defeated look in her eye when we last talked.

When I told her that I never wanted to speak to her again.

And no matter how much Sonny's soft, gentle touch comforted me, I still found myself wallowing in guilt and self-pity. It felt like I had, in a way, murdered my mother. I felt like I had basically laid a death wish on her, and that's exactly what the universe delivered. But that's not what I wanted. Tons of kids said that they wanted their parents to go away, right? But they never mean it.

_I didn't mean it!_

But _it_ came. _It came,_ like it had heard my wish, and _it_ stole my mother away from me.

"It's my fault she's in there, you know." I told Sonny. Her head whipped around and she stared at me with wide eyes.

"What?"

"It's my fault." I mumbled, shuffling uncomfortably. My voice cracked on 'fault', and I clenched my fists. I was not going to cry… not now… I didn't feel like I _deserved_ to cry.

"Chad, how is it your…"

"A few nights after we broke up, Mom tried to comfort me and I told her to never speak to me again." I raked a hand through my hair. I'd never told anyone about this. I was too ashamed. "The next day, she didn't get out of bed, and when I got home..." I choked on the last three words, "_She was gone_."

And then I broke down. Broke down at my mother's gravestone. Three hundred and sixty-five days of emotion poured out in those next few seconds. I fell onto my hands and knees and repeatedly punched the ground beside the gravestone. I felt a few tears emerge but it was only when I spoke that I realised I was full-on bawling. A couple of curses escaped my mouth.

"I h-hate this." I sobbed, before planting my face on the ground and growling, "I hate it, I hate it, _I hate it."_

"Chad…" My girlfriend's soft voice contradicted mine. I envied how calm she was. "Chad, honey, it's okay."

I squinted my eyes together in attempt to stop the tears, but they just kept coming. Sonny wrapped her arms around my waist and lifted me up so that I was balancing on my knees and looking her right in the eyes.

"Chad." She murmured, wiping away a few stray tears that littered my cheeks. Her fingers traced around my face, outlining each feature. "Listen to me, yeah? What happened to your Mom was not your fault." I folded my arms and avoided her gaze and she sighed. She held up my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye, like you would for a toddler. Her brown eyes were warm, her touch was soft. Just by looking at her, my bitterness towards myself melted a little. She loved me, didn't she? Whether I was a murderer or not.

And Sonny, she – she didn't think I _was _a murderer. Which, in a way, I suppose I wasn't. I didn't know that Mom was going to die. I didn't realise that my words would soon become reality.

"Do you remember why she died?" Sonny asks me softly, "Do you remember what the doctors said?"

I closed my eyes. I'd almost shut this whole explanation out of my head. I was too busy trying to blame myself. "She'd had an operation in that hospital, the week before." My teeth involuntarily clenched together. "It was nothing serious, but the doctor said that, um… she caught some super-bug while she was there. It was a mutant virus or something – immune to any antibiotics they could throw at it. Mom– Mom didn't _tell us _about it. She didn't tell us about this bug that she'd caught – she thought it would go away. But it didn't. They couldn't treat it, and so it killed her." I suddenly felt weak in the knees and collapsed onto Sonny's shoulder. "They couldn't treat the super-bug. They couldn't _save her._" **(A/N: Ugh. Biology reference. Yes, there are such things as mutant bugs :P)**

"Hey, hey!" Sonny stroked my back, like I did for her when she was upset or scared or angry. Her touch sent electrical impulses down my back, somehow shocking my system and making the sobs die down a bit. "It wasn't your fault – see? I mean, your Mom caught this bug before you said what you said to her. Even if you hadn't said that, they couldn't have saved her."

I inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming myself down while I listened to Sonny.

"I know it's hard, Chad – it's hard losing a loved one. And I know that you've probably been beating yourself up about what you said this whole year, haven't you?"

I nodded, ashamed.

"Don't." She smiled, "You shouldn't be mad at yourself – I'm sure your Mom isn't. Wherever she is right now, she's smiling, I'm sure."

I scoffed, "Smiling at the mess that is her son?"

"Smiling at her son; the teenage actor, the brilliant boyfriend, the caring brother. Chad, for this whole year, you've been trying your best to take care of your family. And I know it's been hard, but you have me now. Things are only going to get better – I'm going to help you. I promise. Trust me – your Mom is so proud of you. She's so, _so_ _proud_."

She laid down on the grass beside me, gently patting the space beside her, trying to get me to lay down too. She was lying on her side, with her hand resting under her head to support it. I laid next to her, folding my arms and resting them on my stomach, giving her a sweet smile. She grinned.

"Hi." She said with a small giggle.

"Hey." I replied, smiling at her little laugh, which caused her to laugh again. She reached her free arm out to spike up my hair, which had fallen flat from me slamming my head down on the grass in my moment of pure anger at myself. I placed a hand on my forehead, biting my lip, worried that I'd left a mark. Sonny seemed to know what I was doing immediately. She giggled again cutely.

"Don't worry, Chad." She said, giving me the most adorable smile ever, "Your face is fine. You look perfect."

I smiled softly. The moment felt magical, just like every moment with Sonny does. But I couldn't help the sickly feeling in my stomach – my mother was a few feet under us – cold, dead, underground. Sonny noticed my distress and reached for my hand, placing it on Mom's gravestone. She kissed the hand tenderly, like kissing a child's hand after they'd just injured it.

"Everything's going to be fine, Chad." She promised.

For the first time in a whole year, I fully agreed.

"Come _ooooon, _Chad!"

The day after the anniversary, I remember being woken up to the lovely symphony of my brother, baby sister, and girlfriend, screaming in my ear.

Great.

"We have work!" Sonny cooed, shoving my arm while Josh pulled on my foot and Abby poked my face, "And you promised you'd take Josh and Abby to see Condor Studios and introduce them to the Randoms and stuff!"

I scoffed, my voice mocking. Hey, I hadn't had much sleep last night – despite the strange disappearance of that random reoccurring nightmare of my last few moments with my mother – so could you really blame me for what I said next?

"Oh, yippee. A day with my siblings _and _the Randoms? What could make this better?"

Sonny slapped my arm, "Your girlfriend in a bad mood because _someone _forgot to buy her pancakes!"

I rolled my half-closed eyes. "You guys go without me. I'll catch you…" I snuggled my head into the pillow, "later."

I heard the muffled giggles of my little family, and face-planted the pillow. _Nut-jobs_.

I paid for that exactly 6 seconds later.

"OH MY-" I refrained from swearing in the light of my audience, as said-audience dumped a decently-sized bucket of ice-cold water on my poor defenceless body. The three of them then exploded in fits of giggles – even innocent little Abby. Sonny's laughter, though, soared above everyone else's – light and happy with a hint of crazy. Yup, that's my Sonny.

"You guys are evil." I said, spluttering. Sonny giggled, ruffling my drenched hair.

"And proud!" She said with a wide grin. I eyeballed the ceiling.

"Now I'm definitely not coming."

Sonny frowned, before her eyes brighten and she seemed to come up with a plan.

"Puppy dog eyes!"

And so, being the strong, brave, totally not-whipped boyfriend I am, I very kindly drove my little family to Condor Studios. Abby, with Josh gripping onto her little hand, skipped towards the door, babbling to herself, with Josh interjecting every now and again to make some sweet little comment that made her giggle uncontrollably and adorably. Sonny cooed every few seconds, her grip on my arm getting tighter. I rolled my eyes and smiled gently, trying to seem as interested as she was which was pretty much near impossible.

We walked into the Prop House on some kind of Mexican stare-off between Zora and Condor's little 'angel' Dakota, with Nico and Grady watching with narrow eyes, posed in a stance as if they're waiting for some action so they can jump in there and stop them. Uh oh. Nico and Grady, trying to stop a fight?

Almost like Sonny and I can read each other's mind, we looked right at each other and nodded, and as Zora and Dakota all but dived at each other, we each ran up and held them apart. Being the total hero that I am (ha) I dive for the smaller Dakota, while Sonny makes a break for her larger, weirder, and debatably scarier cast mate.

"LEMME AT 'ER! LEMME AT 'ER!" Zora screamed, while Dakota wiggled in my arms. Sonny shot me an exasperated look over Zora's shoulder.

"Guys, break it up!" She moaned, while Nico and Grady shrunk away from the scene and made their way towards the door, where my siblings were, watching the action from a respectful distance and ready to make a break for it in case things got too serious.

Wusses. And, really, how serious could a catfight between two little girls get? Alright, so these are two incredibly dangerous and creepy 'little girls', but still.

"Zora, Zora!" Sonny shouted, grabbing her cast mate by the shoulders and whirling her around so she was facing her, looking her right in the eye. She speaks to her slowly, calmly, as if that will have an impact on the raging girl's actions, "_What_ did she do?"

I couldn't see her face, but Zora's whole body scrunched up, "She threatened to smash Gnomey!"

I blinked, "Another Gnomey?" I queried, while Dakota stopped fidgeting in my arms, "I swear she broke the last one. And the one before that. Do you guys seriously have _that_ many gnomes?"

Zora shot a look over her shoulder at me, like she was offended, "This was Gnomey _Junior_!" She moaned, like I was stupid. Even Sonny shook her head at me slowly, like she was mildly disappointed. Seriously?

"The _fiend_!" I said in mock horror, and all three girls glared at me. If I wasn't somewhat scared of each of them, I would've rolled my eyes. Zora did exactly that and then turned back to Sonny.

"I told you, Sonny!" She growled, "She's _evil._"

For the first time, Dakota spoke up in that rude, self-confident, I-can-say-anything-cos-my-Daddy-can-fire-you voice of hers. "Obviously _someone_ doesn't have many friends, for being so _attached_ to a _gnome_."

Her voice was so snarky, I almost hinted to Sonny to let Zora go and let her at the little snob. Zora wriggled and writhed in Sonny's grip though, pretty much leaping at her target. Dakota, who had now pretty much calmed down, shoved my arms off of her and folded her own, smirking that wicked little smirk of hers. Zora was right – she _is _evil.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to see my little brother, giving me a weird look.

"You guys are pretty crud at dealing with angry girls, aren't you?"

I shrugged, "I have you – I've dealt with wriggling, girly little pains in the asses before."

He pulled a face, "Ha, ha, you're a comic genius." He said ironically, before dropping back to his previous tone, "Need any help?"

"Dude. Your dolls still have fights you can't solve."

His face hardened, "Action figures."

Nico called from the door, where he was now holding my little sister while Grady did the whole pick-a-boo routine. "I hear ya, dude!" He shouted, Grady giving Josh a thumbs-up.

He ignored mine and Nico's comment and sauntered past me, to where the insane little snob and his future girlfriend were giving each other stink eye. Dakota saw the approaching figure and immediately reached for a gnome on the centre of the table who I presumed was Gnomey Junior. Zora gasped when Dakota laid her hands on the gnome, almost as if she was committing a crime. Dakota stared at the gnome with a calculating look.

"I wonder if Junior here bounces."

Zora's eyes widened dramatically. "You wouldn't dare!"

Dakota stared at the gnome for a few more seconds, pulling a studious face. Suddenly, though, Mr Unexpected-Hero spoke up.

"Hey," he said, putting his arms out, "put it down."

Dakota pulled a face. "Why should I listen to _you?_"

Josh smiled a little, "Because I'm older than you." I mentally fist-bumped my brother. I'd taught him well. "And besides, it's not like you can fire me or something, cos I don't work here."

Dakota smirked evilly, "But I can fire your brother." She said, looking up at me with adoring eyes. I shuddered. She still had that _thing _for me, then.

Josh raised a cautious eyebrow, "But then you wouldn't be able to see him… all day long… it'd get kinda lonely."

Dakota's face fell flat and I shuddered harder. Never did unemployment look so good.

"C'mon," Josh said, a playful smirk on his lips, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" He then paused and shrugged, "Wait. You're totally pickin' on the right-sized person here. Bullying a gnome. How hard of you."

Dakota's eyes widened, so far they were almost falling out of their sockets. No-one talked to Dakota Condor like that. Ever. She was obviously off the edge. Especially when Zora added; "Beat it, shorty!"

Seeming to have forgotten her daughter-of-the-boss status, Dakota's arms went limp, the gnome falling in the process. However, it fell on the table, with not enough force to fully smash it. The breath everyone had been holding in had been released, and Dakota fled the room as quickly as possible. Zora pretty much flew straight towards Josh.

"You saved Gnomey!" She gushed, grinning ear to ear. Josh gave her a small smile.

"It was nothin'." He said softly. It was the first time I'd seen that guy act 'soft'.

"What's your name?" Zora asked, extending her hand out to shake his.

"Josh." He nodded, "Chad's bro."

Zora grinned, "You're much cooler than your brother."

"Hey!" I moaned, but neither of them seemed too interested in me. I heard Sonny 'aww', and rolled my eyes. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning of 'Zosh', and the restoration of Sonnying It Up. Yippee.

And, I guess I'm slightly, maybe, possibly, kind of happy that 'Zosh' came about, cos Josh became a slightly more respectful dude when that happened. Yeah. Go love. And as Sonny would say, _see? _Love does change people for the better, la de da, flowers and pretty stuff, blah blah blah, love, yay.

So keep that in mind.

And, I guess it's true. Love changed me for the better, right? I mean, without Sonny, I'd probably still be some jerk, sleeping with five women per week and dumping each of them, even if they were pregnant. Yeah, I think we're all grateful that Sonny came into my life. Now, we're married.

And I am something that I never thought I'd be.

I'm happy.

* * *

**A/N: Yayyy another totally cliché ending! Lol. That last half was based on an idea for a one-shot that someone gave me, but I never wrote it as a one-shot cos I couldn't think, but now I could! Yay :P**

**I really hope that y'all enjoyed the chapter! It's the second-to-last episode... so sad! **

**Review, please, guys! ;D**

**~Amy x**


	62. Finale

**A/N: Well. This is it, guys.**

**The final chapter of Living with My Sonshine. **

**Now, I promise to you, guys - I have plans. I have plans for little one-shot spin-offs focused on anything and everything to do with this story... but this is the actual final chapter.**

**You have no idea how long I've been mentally preparing myself for this. It's a miracle I'm not crying now.**

**So... here it goes. I really, really hope you guys enjoy it. It'll be in 3rd person POV, so... yeah. Heh.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sonny with a Chance. *sniff***

* * *

LWMS FINALE

"Abigail Cooper?"

The nine year-old girl lifted her head from her test paper to see the principal of West Hollywood Elementary School in the doorway of the large hall where her class were taking a few end-of-year tests. The blonde, under her sister-in-law's supervision and guidance, had prepared flawlessly for the exam she was taking at this present moment – Math – but her mind was on other matters. _Family_ matters.

Her aforementioned sister-in-law was, at this present moment in time, in hospital. In labour. She had woken up this morning, groaning and screaming. Her husband, Abby's older brother, had yelled something about her "waters breaking" and called a doctor immediately. This had scared Abby – she hadn't been around for her first niece, Rebecca's, birth, and so she knew nothing about what was happening when Sonny's waters broke. She was almost terrified. But she could see, in her brother's eyes, a little twinkle of excitement. He wasn't afraid. Well, not completely.

Mostly, he was ecstatic.

While the other kids in the room were speedily (or perhaps not, for the less able or more careful amongst them) making their way through their tests, Abby's mind was on how her sister must be feeling at this point. She could imagine the woman writhing in pain on a hospital bed while her husband – Abby's older brother – waited anxiously outside, pacing the corridor impatiently and having to listen to his wife's agonised screams as she birthed their second child. Abby didn't know much about childbirth, apart from what she'd learned from her sister-in-law Sonny, which Sonny was reluctant to explain during her recent pregnancy. It sounded really scary to Abby.

"Your brother has called for you, Abigail." The principal, Mr Winters, explained, "Hesays that he's come pick you up and take you to, uh, the hospital…?"

Principal Winters gave the teacher who had set the test an apologetic smile as Abby hopped out of her seat and skipped excitedly towards the door. She knew what this meant – she was going to see her new niece or nephew!

* * *

"Chad's gonna be pretty miffed when he finds we've taken you from your tests, y'know."

Abby's older brother, now nineteen year-old Josh, led his little sister towards his blue Lexus, which was parked in the school's lot beside the playground where the kids had recess. Abby's oldest brother, Chad, had jumped at the chance to get Abby into the best school he could find in the city – being pretty much like a father to the girl, he had always strived to get her the very best. Ever since their mother passed and their father left them back when the little girl was only two years old, Abby had almost treated Chad like her father, and his girlfriend-turned-wife Sonny as her mother. Sonny Cooper (nee Munroe) was such a caring, nurturing young woman, it was hard to believe that Abby wasn't her very own child.

Josh, on the other hand, had pretty much ignored his little sister until Sonny came along. As positive an influence as Chad had tried to be, Josh had been what many would describe as a 'nightmare' from the moment he found his mother dead and his brother crying at her bedside. He had been a troubled tween and had had a rough one or two years, but, as Chad proudly tells it, the sunshine (or Sonshine) entered their lives at just the right time and brightened it, being the heroine to save the day for the family.

Abby smiled at her big brother, "He won't mind." She said, sounding pretty self-assured.

"Tests are pretty important, though, kiddo." Josh warned his little sister. Not that he really believed what he was saying. When Josh was a teen, he hardly even went to school. He was a smart guy, sure, but middle school hadn't been his favourite place. Luckily, he fixed things in high school, and managed to graduate the year before, on time with the other kids his age. His brother couldn't have been more grateful. Josh was actually planning to go to college – near his girlfriend. Zora Lancaster, being the excellently academic mind she was, had been accepted to Dartmouth and Harvard and Yale, and though Josh's grades weren't that good and he hadn't even considered sending an application to any the Ivy League colleges, his plan was to at least be in the same state as his girlfriend. Josh had forgotten his notion of true love being stupid and gross – his brother's wife's friend was his girlfriend; possibly his true love. Sonny would always coo at the thought – _"We're all like a little family!"_ she would exclaim excitedly whenever she saw her friend arm in arm with her brother-in-law.

"Tests are boring." Abby moaned, poking the gap where her last baby tooth had recently fallen out with her tongue. This, of course, was reason to exclaim to her oldest brother, _"See! I'm not a baby girl anymore!" _to which he would reply, _"You'll always be my baby girl, baby girl."_

Josh chuckled at his little sister's remark, "Don't tell Chad that. He'll worry you're defecting to the dark side like I did. First, you hate tests; soon, you'll be refusing to go into school."

Abby raised a confused eyebrow, "But you can't _not_ go to school! School is _school_!"

The child waved her arms around dramatically, clearly believing missing a day of school was like a crime. The worse someone could commit. Josh laughed and ruffled his little sister's hair.

"You sound just like Chad." He accused. Abby's jaw dropped open, before she gave him an impish smile.

"Thanks, _Sonshine_." He drawled, copying her oldest brother's nickname for his wife. Josh spluttered out a laugh.

"Okay, yeah, you got me; I admit." He said, holding his hands up in defeat, "I am Sonny… in disguise… don't tell Chad!"

Innocent little Abby giggled suddenly. "I'm Chaddy, you're Sonny."

Josh shuddered, "No. _Please_. Don't give me that image!"

Abby spluttered, giggling, as her brother picked her up and gave her a piggyback across the rest of the trail to his car.

"Where are we going now, Josh?" Abby asked her big brother, as, protectively, he buckled her seat belt for her, even though the girl had been taught years ago and knew precisely how to do her seat belt. Josh debated that maybe he was being protective because, being older now, he'd developed some of Chad's fatherly instincts. Or maybe it was because if they got into an accident and there was even a scratch on their little sister, Chad would bite his head off. As a young teen, he would've rolled his eyes at his brother's parental acts, but now he was almost twenty he almost… understood them. He shuddered. Being in love? Being overly caring? He was slowly turning into Chad…

"We're gonna go pick up Zora." Josh told his little sister (whose face lit up at the mention of one of her favourite 'Aunties', second to only Tawni Hart), shutting her door and opening his own. His little sister was sat right behind him, and so when he reached his hand backwards to pat her friendlily on the leg, she reached for his hand before he could and held onto a couple of his fingers, giggling. Josh smiled at his little sister's touch.

"C'mon, bab- Abby." He cut himself off before he could go on and adopt Chad's nickname for her. Not only did Abby have something against that nickname and had done ever since her fourth birthday, but Josh realised it was just another way he was becoming more like Chad. He groaned.

"Okay. I take back what I said. I'm more Chad than Sonny." He confessed to his little sister, who stared at the back of his head in confusion, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"You're funny!" She told her brother, kicking her feet around in the air in excitement. She twiddled a length of her pretty blonde hair, which she had surely inherited from her mother, between her fingers. Josh looked at his little sister and smiled to himself. The long blonde hair, the light blue eyes, the bright happy smile…

Abby surely was their mother's daughter.

* * *

The little girl ran into the taller nineteen-year-old girl's arms, her fingertips not even touching each other. Zora Lancaster picked up her little 'niece', swinging her around, giggling as she did.

"Hey, Abster!" She cooed, putting the little one back down and patting her on the head, wrapping one of her hands around her smaller one.

"Hi, Zora!" She gave the older girl a huge, toothy grin, which Zora believed she had adopted from Sonny. Sonny used to smile like that a lot when they first met – now that she had grown up, her smiles were a lot more mature, adult-looking. However, when she was overly happy, sometimes, she'd crack one of those massive smiles that lit up the room like sunshine. Zora kind of missed the old days, when Sonny would always be the one to light up her day, because they used to spend so much time together and Sonny could just do that to a person all the time back in those days. But, then, to be honest, Sonny was happier now. She was happily married, with one – soon to be two – kids. She was super happy. And so was Zora.

And, call her childish, but she missed the So Random days.

Josh, who had hung back while Zora and Abby had exchanged their little hug, approached his two 'girls' and wrapped his arms around the both of them. Abby, overexcited, exclaimed to the two something about Sonny's giving birth, and rushed straight back to Josh's Lexus, leaving the two alone. Josh gave his girlfriend a charming smile, stroking her porcelain-white cheeks.

Despite living in Los Angeles for most of her life, the sun had certainly had no effect on Zora's skin tone. Since she was not the girl to go to beaches and try to soak up a tan, even in her teenage years, her skin was definitely not that of a Californian. This, however, was no problem for her boyfriend. Despite any expectations from the boy's judgemental and cynical personality as a tween, he had never showed any sign of being more attractive to the more flashy, 'plastic' side of the female population. In fact, Zora had really been the only girl he'd ever been attracted to – unlike his brother, who had had probably thousands of girls before he found 'the one'. Even when he found 'the one', and let her slip out of his fingers that horrible time that led to them spending six months apart, he'd dated a couple of attractive girls to get his mind off of his break-up, but to no prevail.

Chad and Josh knew it far too well – their true loves were definitely their Random girls.

"You ready to go, babe?" Josh asked his girlfriend, to which she nodded excitedly.

"Baby number two; let's go!"

* * *

Across the city, and the same event was being anticipated by Sonny's mother and a trio of Sonny's friends. Tawni Hart, Sonny's closest Hollywood friend and tied-for-best friend along with Lucy Daniels (Sonny's childhood Wisconsin friend who she still kept in touch with and visited with her family whenever she got the chance), was on the phone to Chad, who kept her up-to-date with the latest news about the birth. So far, contractions were opening her uterus ready for the birth. Sonny's Wisconsin friend Lucy, the couple's old friend and Grady's girlfriend Mel, and of course, Sonny's mother, were listening eagerly to the updates. There was one more person in the room, too – Sonny and Chad's young daughter, Rebecca, was sat on her grandmother's lap, giggling and playing with her favourite stuffed toy – a giraffe that had been handed down to her from her Auntie Abby, who had adored that giraffe as a baby and had wanted her new niece to take care of it as best as she could, to which Rebecca responded with a spluttered giggle and a hug, before she squeezed the life out of her new favourite toy.

"You guys should come down here, you know." Chad's tired voice told the group over speaker phone. He hadn't slept in a few hours – you could tell by the tone in his voice. He was just hoping the birth would be over with soon – he wanted to join his wife in finally welcoming their second child to the world. "Zora and Josh are coming – they might bring Abby too. I'm sure Sonny would want you to be there for this."_ If she wasn't in so much pain_, he added to himself. His wife was a sweetheart, sure – but labour was a painful experience. He didn't dare to go into her room and ask Sonny if she wanted her friends there – she'd be too busy screaming to answer. Plus, he knew his girl inside-out as it was – she loved her friends, and her mother, and wanted them there.

"Well be there, soon." Tawni promised, "We're waiting for Nico and Grady – they haven't showed up."

The group could almost hear Chad rolling his eyes, "I wonder what shenanigans the idiots have got themselves into this time." He pondered, but mockingly rather than in the condescending tone he would have used back when they were teens. Chad was much friendlier with the Randoms nowadays – now he'd had years experience getting used to them – he'd even started calling them friends a year or so after So Random and Mackenzie Falls ended.

"Hey," Mel said sternly, even though she was smirking, "Their girlfriends are here, you know."

"That's what you are?" Chad shot back sarcastically, "I thought they'd just finally found their Players Three and Four."

Mel laughed while Tawni shuddered at the thought. She loved her boyfriend – _fiancé_ – but that didn't mean she shared the same love for his _video games_ he still played from time to time. And she _certainly _didn't share it so much that she'd actually play herself.

_Yuck_.

As if scheduled, the two boys – _men, _though they still sometimes behaved like their juvenile teenage selves – burst through the door of Tawni and Nico's apartment, giving the company sheepish smiles.

"Oh, speak of the devil." Chad's voice was the only one to speak. Obviously he had heard their entrance and had assumed that only they could enter a room in such a lousy, noisy, bumbling way. Mel and Tawni were too busy smiling at their respective partners, while Sonny's mother Connie was staring into space, half-thinking about the traditional 'my-baby-girl' stuff that Sonny would probably complain at her about. The other half of her attention was still on Rebecca, who had fallen silent on her lap. Sleeping.

"Sorry." Nico was the first to speak, as he straightened his trilby, "Freeway's crazy busy. I suggest we take a different route to the hospital."

A distant screaming came from Tawni's phone, and Chad spoke again; this time his voice sounding much more awake and alert. One couldn't pick out whether it was excitement or nerves colouring his voice.

"Well, that route had better be quick – it sounds like the baby's getting closer!"

And that one sentence sent the rest of them out of the door in a frenzy.

* * *

Chad Dylan Cooper had been impatiently pacing the corridors, speaking to his friends over the phone and trying to ease his nerves with their comforting. But now they'd gone and he was alone again and he was oh so nervous, and as he heard the strained screams coming from his wife, he shook his head and made a break for the door. He heard a low chuckling as he reached the door, and turned to see an older man, probably in his mid-thirties, sat on one of the plastic waiting chairs in the corridor. He had dark hair and blue eyes, and he gave Chad a sympathetic smile.

"First one?" He asked. Chad shook his head, shocked at the stranger's support.

"Second." He admitted. The man nodded.

"Never gets any easier, huh?"

Chad shook his head, speechless. After a few seconds, he managed to get words out. "H-how many for you?"

"Four." He said proudly. Chad let out a small gasp. He knew he'd never cope with such a large group of kids. One or two was good for him. Any more than that and Chad was sure his head would explode. He couldn't go through this childbirth process any more than that. Let alone the headaches and worrying it put him through – what about Sonny and her cravings and swellings and morning sickness and fatigue and that long labour process that she was going through at this very moment. He almost idolised his wife for being so strong. He could imagine her in their right now, trying hard to smile even though she needed so much energy right now and couldn't be using it up on stuff like talking and laughing and trying to keep the mood light and happy. He smiled at the thought. His wife, ever the sweetheart.

Giving the man one last kind smile, Chad said, "Good luck with the little one, then."

"You two." The man smiled as Chad twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door to see his wife laid on the bed, groaning and screaming. The doctors and midwives were all around, but all he could focus on was his beautiful wife. The doctors didn't seem to notice as Chad ran to his wife's bedside, squeezing her hand in his. Sonny twisted her head to see him, and for the first time, she realised he had entered and gave him a weak, but true smile. He understood the smile straight away, because he'd been in love with her for so long that he could understand every gesture, every laugh, every teardrop, every breath-taking smile.

And he knew what this smile meant. She was glad. She was glad he was there. She was in pain, of course, but that didn't matter, because he was there and she was pleased because of it. He was there for her, just like she was always there for him, through the good and the bad, because that's what you did when you were in love. That's where Chad had been right since the very first time he had told her that he loved her – right there. Right by her side.

Exactly where he belonged.

Exactly where he would stay.

* * *

Almost two hours passed before the company gathered outside the hospital room heard total silence fall, after those near-two hours of screaming and shouting and encouraging words. They listened, eager to hear some kind of movement. A child crying. Something. _Anything_. They each silently prayed that the child hadn't passed away. That would be Sonny and Chad's second time losing a child before it had even had a chance at life. They doubted the couple would be able to cope with that.

Sat silently, they anxiously waited to be told they could enter.

The small sound of crying escaped through the door. A few shoulders relaxed – the baby was alive. They tried to peek in through the small window in the door, but came up short, and instead, collectively, they all sat, impatient, but willing to let the couple have their first moments with their new child.

Meanwhile, inside the room, the baby was being cleaned off and wrapped in a towel. Sonny, gasping, trying to retain her natural breathing pace, turned her head to Chad, who was smiling proudly. She gave him a smile in return – tired, but triumphant.

"We're getting experts at this, huh?" Chad joked, earning a weak, but real, laugh from his wife.

"I'm exhausted." She admitted, relieved to have something coming out of her mouth that wasn't a scream.

"Well, you can sleep soon, m'lady." Chad promised, stroking his wife's precious head. Sonny's smile got wider – her energy was slowly coming back to her. The colour in her face was looking much more normal, and Chad realised she was still holding his hand, though not as tightly as she had while giving birth.

"Nah." Sonny shrugged, "I'm too excited!"

"Mr and Mrs Cooper?"

Synchronised, the two looked up to see the midwife, Maria, a blonde woman in her mid thirties, holding their second child, wrapped in a blue blanket with a small blue hat on to prevent heat loss. She handed the baby to Sonny, smiling kindly.

"Congratulations." She cooed, "It's a boy!"

Sonny's face lit up as the baby was placed in her arms. She cradled the little one, who had now finished crying and was quiet in his mother's arms. Sonny looked at the boy with awe-filled eyes before she realised something and bit her lip.

"Crud, we didn't prepare a name or anything." She mumbled. Chad gave her a curious look.

"Got any ideas?"

"Um…" She pulled a thoughtful face, "He's a boy…" She broke into a silly grin, inspiration coming like a blast from the past. "Mackenzie?"

Chad rolled his eyes, "Really, Sonny? Way to be original."

Sonny smirked, "Can that at least be his middle name? We might not get a boy again."

Chad shrugged in acceptance, "Any suggestions for a first name?"

Sonny took her first full look at the boy. She took in his smooth cheeks that seemed slightly like her own – she took in the eyes which were only squinting and the few hairs on his head and realised that, unlike Rebecca, who had taken most of her genes from Chad, baby number two had more of a mix; her eyes, his hair. Something snapped into her head, suddenly, and after it was there she couldn't get it out.

"Cameron." She suggested. But it didn't sound like a suggestion. When she said it she immediately felt that it was just meant to be. Chad smiled when he heard the name – and to their surprise, so did the boy. Noticing his new son's reaction, Chad gave his wife a warm smile.

"Cameron Mackenzie Cooper it is." He declared, giving first Sonny, and then the newborn, a kiss on the cheek. Cameron made a small, babbling noise, and his tiny arms reached up in the air. The midwife noticed and grinned.

"We've finished cutting the umbilical chord. Everything's set." She told the pair, before turning to Chad. "Would you like to hold him now?"

Knowing the score this time around, Chad held his new son gently, slightly upright, holding the head just right – just the way he had been taught when they'd got their first child. He felt the same tingle he'd felt every time he held Rebecca.

He felt love.

Because, he felt, that that was what love was – the proof of his love for Sonny was wrapped up in a little blanket and cradled in his arms right now. Cameron, and Rebecca, were both proof to Sonny that he loved her, and proof that she loved him, so much that they could have these two precious children together.

Yearning to have that feeling again, he forgot all about what he'd thought to himself outside the hospital room a couple of hours ago and decided he needed this again – he _needed_ to have another child. He needed to be able to hold another piece of evidence of his love. Sure, he'd wait a little while, because he didn't want to plunge Sonny straight into another nine months of suffering, but he was willing to have another child, because it would be so worth it. All the screaming and shouting and crying and broken bones and snotty noses and fights and babysitting and tutoring and everything else that came with being a parent would be worth it in the end, because in the end he would be able to face the world and tell everyone that he was in love with Sonny Munroe, and that they had two, three; however many little children to prove it.

The peaceful tranquillity was soon broken as the door creaked open. Mrs Munroe, the couples' friends, and little Rebecca, who wandered into the room holding Tawni's hand, all approached the bedside where Chad stood with the newest addition to the family, all keen to get their first glimpse of the new baby Cooper.

While the company gathered around Chad, one at a time, getting to see the baby (even Chad's father Chris and step-mother Melanie, who had arrived late but were still dying to meet their new grandson), Tawni ran over to Sonny's left, away from everyone else. She gave Sonny a respectful look as she peered over Chad's shoulder to see the little one, with his eyes closed – probably into his first peaceful sleep.

"A boy?" Tawni asked. Sonny nodded.

"Cameron." She told her friend. Tawni gasped.

"Such a sweet name!" She praised one of her best friends, who grinned widely, too excited to be thinking about the sleep she had been craving in the first few seconds after Cameron had been born.

"Thanks." She said. Tawni sighed.

"I wish I could be that brave." She said, in awe and slight jealousy. "I'd love to have a kid, but…" Her shoulders slumped, "I dunno if I'd be any good."

Sonny's face fell, almost as if she was offended by Tawni's words. "Tawn, you'd be an awesome mother!" She vowed, "You did such a good job with Abby when we couldn't be around to watch her… and with Rebecca! You'd be amazing."

Tawni's eyes lit up, "You think so?"

The brunette nodded, "You'd be a natural." She assured her blonde friend, who smiled excitedly.

"Whoa…" An awe-filled coo escaped from Rebecca's mouth as her grandmother lifted her up and she caught sight of her little brother.

"This is Cameron, sweetie." Chad told his daughter, who's face lit up, "He's your little brother."

Rebecca grinned.

"Do you love him, sweetie?" Sonny asked. Rebecca nodded.

"He's cute!" She agreed. Abby, who was stood at her big brother Josh's heels, nodded in agreement.

"Yay Sonny and Chad!" She squealed, clapping. Soon after, everyone in the room was applauding the couple and their new baby. Cameron was safely passed around as Chad let him go to place a kiss on his wife's lips.

"Planning to ever do this again?" He asked Sonny, whose face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"You'd want another kid?"

Chad shrugged, "They're special little creatures. Of course I would."

Sonny grinned, leaning up and kissing her husband.

"I love you." She smiled. He lied on the bed next to her, embracing her in a large hug.

"Aw, Sonshine…" He beamed that same beam he'd accustomed to back in the beginning, when their whole relationship began. Not the beam of Chad Dylan Cooper – the arrogant superstar – but the beam of Chad – the loving husband and father, which he hoped to be for the rest of his days.

He placed a chaste kiss on his wife's lips, and, exhausted, but still ecstatic, he murmured into her ear, "I love you, too."

_~L/W/M/S~_

Time passed, life went on, and, while things changed, they stayed exactly the same.

The Cooper family ended up settling for three perfect children; Rebecca Claire Cooper, Cameron Mackenzie Cooper, and their final child, birthed four years after Cameron, was another girl – Jessica Connie Cooper. She was the exact opposite of Rebecca – rather than getting all of her father's genes, it was her mother who she ended up reflecting. Nonetheless, she was just as beautiful to the couple as the previous children, and the three were brought up with love and care by two people who adored them.

Sonny's friends also met happy endings. Tawni and Nico, getting married soon after Cameron's birth, had two children – Isabelle and Freddie Harris. Josh and Zora, and Grady and Mel, each also soon married. Josh followed Zora when she went to Yale, going to a good college just a few miles away. In the end even young Abby found up meeting the boy she would eventually marry when she was sixteen years old – the same age as Sonny and Chad had been when they had met all those years ago in Condor Studios. Not only that; Abby had once thought of the boy as a jerk, an archenemy almost – and two years later, they were dating. Sonny would always laugh at that, declaring that anyone could fall in love with their true enemy – and the Cooper family were breathing proof.

Chad and Sonny found their happily ever after, however cliché it seemed. And Chad still turned to that little star in the sky – his mother – in times of need, even at the simplest things, even when he was in his thirties. At the anniversary of her death Sonny and Chad and any other family member would go down to her gravestone and look up at the star Chad assumed to be her and remember her life. It wasn't a sad event, though.

It was a celebration.

Chad would thank his mother every year, because he believed that she had been watching over him and without her, he never would have got Sonny back all those years ago, and who knows what would have happened to him. He could've ended up alone forever. Cold. Afraid. Broke. Angry with the world. Maybe he'd have even committed suicide if it wasn't for his angel who had been sent down from heaven to save him from himself. His personal sunshine who had came into his life and brightened it.

His everything.

But, fortunately for Chad, his angel on earth ended up saving his life, and rather than being alone and sorrowful and maybe even dead, Chad Dylan Cooper was living with his Sonshine, his home, his _everything_, for the rest of his days.

Exactly where he belonged.

Exactly where he stayed.

...

"_Love is not an equation, it is not a contract. Love is the slate under the chalk, the ground that buildings rise, and the oxygen in the air. It is the place you come back to, no matter where you're headed." ~ Jodi Picoult._

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**FIN**

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**A/N: Ta daaa! And that's it! Living with My Sonshine is officially over! It hasn't hit me yet though. I bet I'll be in bed tonight and I'll start crying like a weirdo :P**

**Soo, guys! I've just gotta say; if there's anything you want me to explore in a one-shot, I'm up for it. Tell me if you have an idea for a one-shot spin-off, cos I'm planning to do many of them cos I just can't let go of these characters ;D**

**I really, really hope you all enjoyed this series! It's been so much fun to write (even though the last few months have been so bad updating-wise :P) and I have loved it myself. Gosh, I feel like a mother watching her child go off to college :')**

**Once more, thank you so much everybody. I really hope you've enjoyed this! I love you all so very much, and, just for old time's sake - PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Love, forever and always,**

**~Amy x**

**PS: I am hoping to upload my new story, **Lost Soul**, tomorrow... you have been warned ;D**


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